Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama, who turned well-known later in life for her work in sculptures and installations, has died aged 97, her firm has confirmed.
The assertion introduced, “with profound sorrow… the passing of Yayoi Kusama at a hospital in Tokyo on August 14, 2026, at the age of 97”.
“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,” it mentioned.
Kusama, who had voluntarily lived in a pyschiatric hospital for many years, was recognized for her bright-red wig and quirky polka-dot ensembles.
“She continued to paint until her final days, never setting aside her brush, and continued exploration of forever love and eternal soul.
“We will carry ahead Kusama’s needs and, by means of artwork, proceed to carry hope and energy for the longer term to folks around the globe.”
Kusama became one of the world’s most recognisable artists and a global cultural icon in her 80s and 90s, after having been mostly overlooked for decades.
Poorly received by a masculine-dominated art scene of New York in the 1960s, Kusama caused a stir with her exhibitions of phallic sculptures, including a fabric couch, and frequent displays of nudity.
In 1965, her work “Infinity Mirror Rooms”, in which mirrors and lights create seemingly endless spaces, attracted millions of visitors. Later, her polka-dot and pumpkin works became highly sought-after.
However, she became distressed when her ideas were copied or “impressed” by her male contemporaries – together with Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg and Lucas Samaras – whose works can be displayed at extra prestigious galleries.