Yayoi Kusama, who splashed polka dots across the art world, dies at 97 in Tokyo
- Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama died on August 14 at a hospital in Tokyo at age 97, according to her studio announcement on Thursday.
- Kusama was known for her signature polka dots featured on paintings, sculptures, and museum installations displayed worldwide, including at MoMA, the Whitney Museum, and Museum Ludwig.
- Her artistic trademark involved repetitive motifs in various shapes including dots, netting, swirls, and worms, often appearing as sparkling balls or lights in psychedelic installations.
- In a 2012 interview, Kusama stated her ambition to create thousands of paintings and expressed her commitment to continue painting until her death.
- Her studio released a statement noting she continued painting until her final days and that her legacy of exploring 'forever love and eternal soul' would be carried forward.
Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, renowned for her signature polka dots featured across paintings, sculptures, and museum installations worldwide, has died at age 97. Her studio announced her death on Thursday, stating she passed away on August 14 at a hospital in Tokyo, though no cause was specified.
Kusama was one of Japan's most respected contemporary artists, with her work widely exhibited at major institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and the Museum Ludwig in Germany. Her artistic trademark involved repetitive motifs in various forms—dots, netting, swirls, and worms—often rendered as sparkling balls or lights in vibrant psychedelic installations.
In a 2012 interview with The Associated Press, Kusama expressed her artistic ambition while wearing her signature orange bob wig and polka dot attire, stating: "Polka dots are fabulous. I want to create a thousand paintings, maybe two thousand paintings, as many as I can draw. I will keep painting until I die." Her studio's statement confirmed she remained committed to this vision, noting she "continued to paint until her final days, never setting aside her brush."
艺术家草间弥生逝世，享年97岁，其标志性波点艺术影响全球
日本艺术家草间弥生因其标志性的波点艺术而享誉全球，这些波点出现在绘画、雕塑和博物馆装置中。她于本周四去世，享年97岁。其工作室宣布她于8月14日在东京一家医院逝世，但未透露具体死因。
草间弥生是日本最受尊敬的当代艺术家之一，作品在多家国际顶级机构展出，包括现代艺术博物馆、纽约惠特尼美国艺术博物馆和德国路德维希博物馆。她的艺术风格以重复图案为特色，包括波点、网状纹理、漩涡和虫形等各种形态，常以闪闪发光的球体或灯光形式呈现在迷幻装置中。
在2012年接受美联社采访时，草间弥生身穿标志性橙色齐耳短发和波点服饰，表达了自己的艺术抱负："波点很棒。我想创作一千幅画，也许两千幅，尽可能多地绘画。我会一直画到去世。"其工作室的讣告证实了她对这一愿景的坚持，指出她"直到生命最后时刻仍在绘画，从未放下画笔"。