Yayoi Kusama Essay

Yayoi Kusama is an inventive Japanese artist who was part of multiple avant-garde movements of the 20th century and who is still creating innovative art in the 21st century. One of her later works, an installation titled Pumpkin of 2008, is a particularly good example of her style as an amassing of her experimentation in technique and personal expression. Her life experiences are very much present in her art, and it is for this reason that studying some of the aspects of her life is helpful, before examining her art, for by revealing some of these events, her artistic perspective may be better understood. Going against the wishes of her parents who did not want her to paint, Kusama decided to study traditional Japanese art in Kyoto; yet, she was

Making art is one of the ways in which she copes with her mental illness, translating her visions and emotions into something that is tangible. Her monochrome paintings of polka dots, composing what she calls Infinity Nets, explore the concept of infinity. These Infinity Nets earned Kusama critical and commercial respect, so, possessing business acumen, she continued to expand her polka dot painting, both on canvas and beyond, “[metamorphosing] into an environmental sculptor.” Her experimentation led her to work with continuously larger spaces, and her art became even more distinctive. Her installations, generally filled with soft sculptures, furniture, and polka dots, that came to be known as Accumulations. She would often pose for photographs with these installations, implanting herself in the art. Those who went to see these Accumulations would interact with it just as she did. Unsurprisingly, these installations remained alongside her Infinity Nets as some of her most popular works of art. Their success of encouraged her to continue to use various media in her works of