Yayoi Kusama, the internationally celebrated Japanese artist known for her polka dot art and “infinity mirror room” installations, passed away at the age of 97 on August 14, 2026, in a hospital in Tokyo, according to an official statement. She continued to create art until the end of her life, with a career spanning visual art, performance, fiction, and poetry.

From Hallucinations to Hallmarks of Art

Kusama’s artistic journey was deeply rooted in her early life; Born in 1929 in Matsumoto, Japan, she endured a difficult childhood marked by an abusive mother and a philandering father, as reported by The Guardian. From a young age, she experienced hallucinations, particularly of flowers and dots, which later became central to her work, she often described her art as a reflection of her perception of the world, which she saw “oversaturated with dots,” according to Spiegel.

Her distinctive style emerged in the 1960s, but she faced periods of obscurity before gaining global recognition, her 1960s performances, including “body festivals” with naked, polka-dotted performers, and a controversial letter to U.S. President Richard Nixon offering to sleep with him to end the Vietnam War, drew both attention and criticism, particularly from her conservative family.

Global Success and Commercial Triumph

Kusama’s work has been exhibited in major institutions worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, according to Spiegel. Her pieces have fetched millions at auction, with a 2022 sale of her early work, “Untitled (Nets),” reaching $10.5 million, the highest price ever achieved for her work at auction. In 2008, Christie’s sold her works for a total of $5.8 million.

Her 2024 exhibition in Australia drew record-breaking numbers, making it the most popular exhibition in the country’s history. In Germany, her 2023 retrospective at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne attracted over 450,000 visitors, the most successful exhibition in the museum’s history, according to T-Online.

Legacy of a Ambitious

Despite early struggles, Kusama’s work gained international acclaim, particularly after her 1993 selection as Japan’s representative at the Venice Biennale — she later collaborated with luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and inspired a new generation of art lovers through her Tokyo-based Yayoi Kusama Museum.

Her team stated that they will honor her wishes by continuing to use her art to bring “hope and strength” to people around the world. Kusama’s legacy is not only artistic but also cultural,her work has transcended the fine art world to influence fashion, pop culture, and social media, with her “Infinity Mirrored Rooms” becoming a favorite for Instagram selfies.

Her death marks the end of a career that was as prolific as it was early. As the Guardian noted, Kusama never set aside her brush, and her final works continued to explore themes of “forever love and eternal soul,” reflecting the enduring depth of her creative vision.