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 1 · Escape from Matsumoto to Manhattan
choko Discover how Yayoi Kusama developed her rapid polka dot painting style as a survival tactic against her mother on their family seed farm.
diego Matsumoto to Manhattan
With dollar bills sewn tight inside her silk kimono seams, She flew across the ocean to chase her wildest dreams.
choko Suitcases of floral sketches and smoldering ashes mark Kusama's tense escape from Matsumoto.
BETA
diego Dodge the growing polka dots to discover how Yayoi Kusama creates her famous infinity rooms.
Fun Fact
Infinity Net Paintings: After escaping Matsumoto for Manhattan, Kusama spent up to fifty hours straight painting these mesmerizing, repetitive white loops without eating or sleeping!
Glossary
nihonga (noun)
A traditional style of Japanese painting that incorporates historical artistic conventions, techniques, and materials. Kusama abandoned her rigid training in this traditional style when she left Japan for America in 1957.
A traditional style of Japanese painting that incorporates historical artistic conventions, techniques, and materials. Kusama abandoned her rigid training in this traditional style when she left Japan for America in 1957.
Quiz
In what year did Yayoi Kusama hold her first solo exhibition in New York at the Brata Gallery?
diego A bold letter to American artist Georgia O'Keeffe paved Kusama's path to the United States.
Fun Fact
Kusama's smuggled cash: In 1957, Yayoi Kusama sewed hundreds of dollar bills into her kimono to bypass strict Japanese currency export laws when moving to America.
Quiz
How long did Yayoi Kusama sometimes paint without sleeping to complete her early Infinity Nets?
Quiz
Which famous American artist did Yayoi Kusama write to for advice before moving to the United States?
Quiz
What family business did Yayoi Kusama's parents run in Japan that she was expected to join?