Fun Fact
Wartime lifesavers: During WWII shortages, pumpkins became a vital food source. For artist Yayoi Kusama, this humble gourd's survival inspired her 'triumph of the pumpkin' art.
Chapter 1
Escape from Matsumoto to Manhattan
Chapter 2
The wild happenings of the sixties
Chapter 3
Inside the infinity mirror rooms
Chapter 4
The triumph of the pumpkin
YOUR GOAL
Master of The art of Yayoi Kusama
Ch 4 · The triumph of the pumpkin
choko See how Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama brought her signature polka dots to Louis Vuitton, merging fine art with classic French luxury in this infographic.
diego The humble pumpkin provided Kusama with comfort and stability since her wartime childhood.
BETA
diego Match polka dots on colorful pumpkins to discover Yayoi Kusama's iconic style of repetition.
Fun Fact
Asylum studio: Since 1977, Yayoi Kusama has voluntarily lived in a Tokyo psychiatric hospital, walking to her nearby art studio every single day.
Glossary
pumpkin (noun)
A large, rounded, orange-yellow fruit with a thick rind, edible flesh, and many seeds. In 1994, Kusama permanently installed her iconic yellow and black pumpkin sculpture on Naoshima Island.
A large, rounded, orange-yellow fruit with a thick rind, edible flesh, and many seeds. In 1994, Kusama permanently installed her iconic yellow and black pumpkin sculpture on Naoshima Island.
Quiz
In which European capital did Yayoi Kusama's massive 2012 retrospective exhibition at the Tate Modern take place?
diego A giant dotted pumpkin on a pier became an iconic symbol of Japanese contemporary art.
Quiz
In what year did Yayoi Kusama voluntarily check herself into a Tokyo psychiatric hospital, where she still lives?
Quiz
On which Japanese 'art island' was Yayoi Kusama's famous yellow and black pumpkin installed on a pier in 1994?
Quiz
In what year did Yayoi Kusama first represent Japan with a solo exhibition at the Venice Biennale?
Quiz
What luxury French fashion house did Yayoi Kusama collaborate with in 2012 and 2023, covering bags in polka dots?
Quiz
What natural disaster swept Yayoi Kusama's famous Naoshima pumpkin sculpture into the sea in 2021?