In remembering Yayoi Kusama who passed away at the age of 97 on August 14, 2026, we’ve created a special display of books on Kusama in our Reading Room for the month of September. You can browse through them or borrow any of these books from the display.
“Even if I die, I still want to strive to reach the end of the universe, by flying deeper and farther, amassing the ever greater strength.” – Yayoi Kusama (from Yayoi Kusama.)
Yayoi Kusama (草間 彌生) was an icon and legendary artist from Japan, known for her use of polka dots in her work. She was a global superstar, the most sought-out artist in the world with a career that spanned from the 1950s to now. Her iconic works such as glowing pumpkin sculptures and polka dotted images have also become fashion motifs.
Kusama was born and raised in Matsumoto and active in New York City between 1957–1972. She became very successful with her early infinity paintings, room-size installations, and happenings with naked performers whose bodies were painted with polka dots. She returned to Japan in 1973, and a few years later, she voluntarily checked herself into a psychiatric hospital for mental health. Kusama, having suffered from mental illness from her childhood, ended up staying in the hospital and commuting to her nearby studio every day for the rest of her life. She was amazingly prolific in producing and exhibiting her work.