Yayoi Kusama, the world-renowned Japanese artist celebrated for her iconic polka-dot patterns, vibrant pumpkin sculptures, and hypnotic Infinity Mirror Rooms, died at age 97 at a Tokyo hospital on August 14, 2026. Her death was announced publicly by the foundation that bears her name on August 27, 2026. In 2014, Kusama was named the most popular artist of the year by The Art Newspaper.
A visionary who transcended every boundary: How obsession and the infinite have shaped her world
"Throughout an extraordinary lifetime devoted entirely to artistic creation, Kusama pursued an internationally acclaimed career as a pioneering avant-garde artist whose creative practice encompassed visual art, performance, fiction, and poetry. She continued to paint until her final days, never setting aside her brush, and continued her exploration of forever love and eternal soul. We will carry forward Kusama’s wishes and, through art, continue to bring hope and strength for the future to people around the world," said a statement of Yayoi Kusama Studio Inc.
Art as salvation: How Yayoi Kusama transformed her inner battles into magnificent, universal works
Yayoi Kusama was born in Matsumoto City, Japan, in 1929. Childhood visions and hallucinations inspired her earliest drawings featuring dots and net patterns, driving her to craft a distinct artistic voice early on using watercolors, pastels, and oils.
Yayoi Kusama’s art was directly linked to her psychological survival. What the world perceives as a playful, immersive marvel actually originated as a practical defense mechanism to quell intense and terrifying hallucinations. Around the age of ten, Kusama began experiencing intense sensory episodes in which patterns, specifically polka dots and net-like structures, multiplied until they visually overwhelmed her surroundings. Rather than succumbing to panic during these episodes, she began painting identical, repetitive shapes onto canvas. Drawing polka dots was a way to externalize her inner chaos, allowing her to gain a sense of control over those visions rather than becoming their victim.
Polka Dots and Mirror Magic: Who is Kusama, a global cultural icon?
Kusama moved to the U.S. in 1957. The following year, while based in New York City, she began exhibiting innovative works in rapid succession, introducing net paintings, soft sculptures, and immersive light and mirror installations. Centered on repetitive, hypnotic motifs, Kusama developed an artistic philosophy she called "self-obliteration," a process in which the self dissolves into the space it produces, where repetition, pattern, and proliferation do not create recognition but disorientation. Her creative horizons soon extended to body painting, fashion shows, anti-war happenings, cinema, and publishing, establishing her status as a leading avant-garde artist.
After returning to Japan in 1973, she resumed writing fiction and poetry and created outdoor sculptures, large-scale installations, and the “Infinity Mirror Room” series. Between 2009 and 2021, she produced roughly 900 paintings for her massive My Eternal Soul series before beginning work on a new series titled Every Day I Pray for Love. She remained a prolific artist until her passing, constantly exploring the themes of infinity, nature, love, life, and death. The Yayoi Kusama Museum opened in Tokyo in 2017.
