Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama dies aged 97

Japanese avant‑garde artist Yayoi Kusama has died at the age of 97, her institution confirmed. The announcement read, “with profound sorrow... the passing of Yayoi Kusama astatine a infirmary successful Tokyo connected August 14, 2026, astatine the property of 97”. It added, “Throughout an bonzer beingness devoted wholly to creator creation, Kusama pursued an internationally acclaimed vocation arsenic a pioneering avant-garde creator whose originative signifier encompassed ocular art, performance, fiction, and poetry,” it said. Kusama, who had voluntarily resided in a psychiatric facility for decades, was recognized for her bright‑red wig and quirky polka‑dot ensembles. A further statement noted, “She continued to overgarment until her last days, ne'er mounting speech her brush, and continued exploration of everlastingly emotion and eternal soul.” The institution concluded, “We volition transportation guardant Kusama's wishes and, done art, proceed to bring anticipation and spot for the aboriginal to radical astir the world.” Kusama became one of the world’s most recognizable artists and a global cultural icon in her 80s and 90s after having been largely overlooked for decades. Poorly received by the male‑dominated art scene of New York in the 1960s, she provoked controversy with exhibitions of phallic sculptures, including a cloth couch, and prominent displays of nudity. In 1965 her work “Infinity Mirror Rooms”, in which mirrors and lights create seemingly endless spaces, drew millions of visitors. Later, her polka‑dot and pumpkin pieces became highly sought after. She expressed distress when her ideas were copied or described as “inspired” by her male contemporaries—among them Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg and Lucas Samaras—whose works were shown in more prestigious galleries.