Yayoi Kusama, Japanese artist known for her polka-dot motifs, dies aged 97

KUALA LUMPUR, TOKYO, MATSUMOTO, NAGANO PREFECTURE, JAPAN, U.S., INDONESIA, NEW YORK, LONDON, 27 AUGUST 2026 —

Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese artist famed for her polka-dot motifs, died on Friday at age 97 in a Tokyo hospital.

Born in Matsumoto, Japan, in 1929, Kusama experienced visions and hallucinations as a child, later citing them as key inspirations for her repetitive dot and net motifs.

She moved to New York in 1957 and became a central figure in the avant-garde art scene, working across painting, soft sculptures, installations, performances and anti-war protests.

Her signature Infinity Mirror Rooms, which use mirrors to create illusions of infinite space, debuted in 1965 with Infinity Mirror Room—Phalli’s Field and became a landmark in installation art.

Returning to Japan in 1973, Kusama remained prolific despite living voluntarily in a psychiatric hospital in Tokyo since the late 1970s. Her practice expanded to include literature, poetry and collaborations with global fashion brands.

Her work gained global prominence in recent decades, with major museum exhibitions and widespread appeal in pop culture. Kusama received the Order of Culture from Japan’s government in 2016 and was named one of Time’s 100 most influential people that year.

Indonesian audiences encountered her work through exhibitions at Museum MACAN in Jakarta, where her installations drew large crowds.

Kusama’s legacy endures through her instantly recognisable dot patterns, net designs, pumpkin sculptures and mirror rooms, cementing her status as one of Japan’s most influential contemporary artists.

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