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Yayoi Kusama
Japanese
Biography
Named "the world's most popular artist" in 2015, it's not hard to see why Yayoi Kusama continues to dazzle contemporary art audiences globally. From her signature polka dots—"fabulous," she calls them—to her mirror-and-light Infinity Rooms, Kusama's multi-dimensional practice of making art elevates the experience of immersion. To neatly pin an artistic movement onto Kusama would be for naught: She melds and transcends the aesthetics and theories of many late twentieth century movements, including Pop Art and Minimalism, without ever taking a singular path.
As an nonagenarian who still lives in Tokyo and steadfastly paints in her studio every day, Kusama honed her punchy cosmic style in New York City in the 1960s. During this period, she staged avant-garde happenings, which eventually thrust her onto the international stage with a series of groundbreaking exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in the 1980s and the 45th Venice Biennale in 1993. She continues to churn out paintings and installations at inspiring speed, exhibiting internationally in nearly every corner of the globe, and maintains a commanding presence on the primary market and at auction.
Insights
In 2014, Yayoi Kusama's exhibitions were the most visited worldwide.
Kusama is one of the most tagged artists on Instagram with some 80 million posts.
Her auction record stands at $7.1 million, a figure achieved for a 1960 "Infinity Net" painting in 2014.
Her painting No. 2 (1959) was previously owned by Donald Judd, whose foundation and former studio at 101 Spring Street will host a forthcoming Kusama exhibition in 2017.
"I, Kusama, am the modern Alice in Wonderland."