草間彌生1957年初到美國西雅圖,1958年移居紐約,1959年舉辦首次個展。到60年代中期,波點已經成為她標誌性作品的署名圖案。圓點遍佈藝術家的各種乍現(Happenings)表演、無盡的房間和她設計的服裝。草間彌生通過用圓點覆蓋她的衣服、皮膚與周圍環境實現了自我消除,回歸自然宇宙:「[...]我在自己全身畫滿圓點,然後把背景也填上一樣的圖案,這就是一種自我消融。把圖案全都畫上圓點,這樣圖案就會消失、和圓點同化,我也被消除了。背景——或網點——是陰,背景上的圓點是陽。把這些陰陽結合起來就是我的表現方式。當陰陽融合的時候,我就可以消除自己的存在。」 iii
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.