服裝是草間彌生畢生創作中一大重要探索主題(參見SFO美術館收藏的《穿去天堂的高跟鞋》(2014年)或史密森尼美國藝術博物館收藏的《花朵-大衣》(1964年) 。無論是她為各個盛大場面和即興表演所設計的服裝、成立服裝公司草間時尚有限公司(Kusama Fashion Company Ltd.),還是她與各大頂級時尚品牌的諸多合作(最近一次是她與路易威登合作,並為品牌設計將在2023年的遊輪系列中發售的一系列皮具),時尚都對草間彌生的影響,正如她為時尚行業帶來的影響般深刻。
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 octogenarian who still lives—somewhat famously—in a psychiatric institution in Tokyo and steadfastly paints in her immaculate 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.