'Polka Dot Pumpkin' Artist Yayoi Kusama Dies at 97

[Financial News]  Yayoi Kusama, one of Japan's most iconic artists and best known for her "polka dot pumpkin" works, has died at the age of 97.
According to Yonhap News and Japan's Kyodo News on the 27th, Kusama died on the 14th at a hospital in Tokyo.
Born in 1929 in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, Kusama experienced hallucinations from an early age and expressed them through her paintings. She moved to the United States in 1957 and built an international reputation while working in New York until 1973. After returning to Japan, she presented a wide range of works inspired by her signature polka dots and net patterns.
Kusama, who drew attention through street performances such as painting polka dots on naked men and women, was also known as the "Queen of Happenings." She became especially famous for her large pumpkin sculptures based on colorful polka dot motifs.
Kusama represented Japan at the Venice Biennale in 1993, and major retrospectives were held at renowned museums in Europe and the United States in 2011 and 2012.
She also held major solo exhibitions in South Korea. In 2013, "Yayoi Kusama: A Dream I Dreamed" was shown at the Daegu Art Museum, and the following year another solo exhibition opened at the Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul Arts Center.
In 2017, the Yayoi Kusama Museum opened in Shinjuku, Tokyo. She continued to unveil new works there until her later years and also drew attention for her collaboration with French luxury brand Louis Vuitton.
Kusama received France's Order of Arts and Letters in 2003, was named a distinguished contributor to Japanese culture in 2009, and received Japan's Order of Cultural Merit in 2016.
During her lifetime, Kusama once said of how she might be remembered after death, "I can't imagine how I will be classified after I die," and added, "I like being an outsider."
Meanwhile, Yayoi Kusama Inc. said, "Kusama was a pioneering avant-garde artist who devoted her life to artistic creation and carried out international activities across visual art, performance, novels, and poetry." It added, "She kept painting until her final day without ever putting down her brush." The studio also said, "We will carry on her spirit and continue to share hope and strength for the future with people around the world through art."
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