Yayoi Kusama

Avant-garde artist who revolutionized contemporary art through immersive installations

Yayoi Kusama (b.1929) created radically new artistic vocabulary that transcends traditional art forms. Her Infinity Mirror Rooms and polka dot obsessions have redefined interactive art experiences.

After overcoming childhood trauma and patriarchal Japanese society, Kusama moved to New York in 1958. There she pioneered:

• First environmental sculpture installations
• Proto-feminist body painting performances
• Integration of psychedelic patterns with minimalism

Kusama's 2012 Obliteration Room at Tate Modern attracted over 2 million visitors, demonstrating her lasting impact. Her voluntary residence in Tokyo mental institution since 1977 adds profound psychological depth to her 'self-obliteration' artistic philosophy.

Major retrospectives at:

• Whitney Museum (2012)
• National Art Center Tokyo (2017)
• Gropius Bau Berlin (2021)