Well known for her use of dense patterns of polka dots and nets, as well as her intense, large-scale environments, Yayoi Kusama works in a variety of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, film, performance, and immersive installation. Born in Japan in 1929, Kusama came to the United States in 1957 and quickly found herself at the epicenter of the New York avant-garde. After achieving fame through groundbreaking exhibitions and art “happenings,” she returned to her native country in 1973 and is now one of Japan’s most prominent contemporary artists. This retrospective features works spanning Kusama’s career.(Whitney)
An inspiring career-spanning retrospective of a key figure to the avant-garde art movements of the 1960s who continues to produce creative and provocate work, while living for decades in a residence for individuals with psychiatric problems. She reappeared from relative obscurity in the 1990s and continues to create work of extraordinary power.
Yayoi Kusama: An Encounter with a Flowering Season (2009)
Yayoi Kusama: Late Night Chat is Filled With Dreams (2009)
While Kusama's Fireflies on Water installation is probably considered as the highlight of this show (with limited, ticketed admission separate from the retrospective exhibition), I was very moved by the final room of the show, containing wall upon wall of her later and recent paintings, that themselves create a stunning,colorful and image-rich art environment that itself should not be missed.
Her autobiography, Infinity Nets, was recenelty published