In Between The Dots

Most recognized for her infinity rooms and obsession with dots, Yayoi Kusama has provided society with a new perspective on art and culture. 

Yayoi did not have the easiest of childhoods. Growing up, she lived in an unstable, unhappy home in Matsumoto, Japan, and coped with her stress through painting. She additionally suffered from frequent hallucinations and realizations of the things around her. These experiences influenced her artwork and have become her own unique expressions of how she sees the world around her. 

One of her most recognizable pieces is her pumpkin sculptures. At the age of eleven, Yayoi hallucinated while picking up a pumpkin and heard it speaking to her. She proceeded to paint this hallucination and what it made her feel, and it has become a pivotal piece and moment in her career. Most recently, her status skyrocketed through the popularity of her artwork on Instagram. This came about through thousands of people photographing and tagging themselves (#InfiniteKusama) in Yayoi’s infinity rooms which are made up of mirrors and objects. Visitors could enter the rooms, take pictures from every angle, and become tantalized by the experience.

At the age of eighty-nine, Yayoi has become a phenomenon in the art world with the majority of her hallucination pieces becoming part of the permanent collections of museums around the world.

Through Yayoi’s work, you come to the realization that she enjoys immersing visitors into a playful experience that represents her personal hallucinations and brings a deeper meaning into her entire world.