Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese artist whose polka dots became a global artistic language, has died at the age of 97, her death was confirmed on August 14 by the Yayoi Kusama Studio, though the cause was not specified. Kusama passed away in a hospital in Tokyo, surrounded by the same artistic passion that defined her life.

A Legacy of Dots and Dedication

According to the studio’s statement, Kusama continued painting until her final days, never setting down her brush; “She followed the path of the love that is eternal and the soul that is infinite,” the studio said. “We will fulfill Kusama’s wishes and continue to bring hope and strength to people worldwide through art.”

As one of Japan’s most respected contemporary artists, Kusama’s work was exhibited at major institutions worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and the Ludwig Museum in Germany. Her repetitive motifs,often appearing as nets, spirals, or worms,were most notably embodied in her iconic polka dots. These dots danced across her canvases or appeared as luminous spheres and points of light in her immersive installations, all set in a vibrant, psychedelic world.

Art and Illness: A Life in Sync

“Los lunares son fabulosos,” Kusama once said in a 2012 interview with The Associated Press — At the time, she wore her signature orange bob wig and polka-dotted outfit. “I want to create a thousand paintings, maybe 2,000,whatever I can draw,” she said in her youthful, direct tone; “I will keep painting until I die.”

Kusama maintained that she painted the world as she saw it: covered in dots that were part of the hallucinations she experienced since childhood; For decades, she cycled in and out of psychiatric institutions, yet her illness never stopped her from creating. Her art became a reflection of both her mental struggles and her unrelenting drive to express herself.

Global Reach and Enduring Influence

Kusama’s influence extended beyond galleries and museums; her installations, such as the famed “Infinity Rooms,” became cultural touchstones and drew millions of visitors worldwide; her bold aesthetic and fearless approach to art made her a defining figure in contemporary art. Her legacy continues to inspire new generations of artists and art lovers, with her work remaining on display in major cities across the globe.

Her studio emphasized that they would honor her wishes by continuing to promote her vision and share her message of hope, As Kusama once said, her art was not just about beauty, but about the enduring power of love and the infinite nature of the soul.