Yayoi Kusama, Iconic Painter of Polka Dots, Dies at 97
The artist developed a body of work recognisable for its obsession with repetition

© YAYOI KUSAMA. Courtesy David Zwirner
Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese artist best known for her works featuring mirrors and polka dots, has died aged 97.
Born in Matsumoto, Japan in 1929, the artist first rose to prominence in New York in the 1960s and early 70s. She developed a body of work spanning painting, installation and performance, and developed a style that became recognised for its obsession with repetition, most often of polka dots.
The artist gained widespread international recognition during her lifetime, evidenced by the numerous blockbuster exhibitions of her work around the world. In the last decade, her immersive work has reached an expanded audience, with works such as her Infinity Mirror Room installations (1965–) gaining widespread popularity on social media platforms. Her pumpkin and polka dot patterns also became known beyond the artworld through a series of brand partnerships, including with Lancome, Veuve Clicquot and Louis Vuitton.
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