Yayoi Kusama

Japan

Yayoi Kusama, born in Nagano Prefecture in 1929, is an Avant-garde sculptor, painter and novelist. Since her debut, she has been enormously productive in terms of experimenting with different forms of artwork including paintings, collages, sculptures, environmental installations, novels and poetry. Started to paint using polka dots and nets as motifs at around the age of ten, she created fantastic paintings in watercolors, pastels and oils. Kusama moved to the United States in the late 50s, and returned to Japan in the early 70s. Her signature polka-dot and pumpkins themed work is no stranger to art lovers; In 2012 her unique quirk attracted Louis Vuitton’s creative director at time Marc Jacobs, Vuitton and Kusama collaborated on a collection. In recent years, her exhibitions toured various countries around Europe, Latin America, and Asia, receiving worldwide acclaim. To say she is the most important artist in Japan is not an overstatement.