Japan's Art Icon Yayoi Kusama Remains Instagram-Ready at 97

A retrospective of the Japanese artist's work is now on show at Museum Ludwig in Cologne.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 8:26am

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Yayoi Kusama, one of Japan's foremost contemporary artists, is known for her Instagrammable "Infinity Rooms" and large-scale polka dot sculptures. Despite her age of 97, Kusama's art and its subject matter remain highly relevant. She has faced major social and mental health challenges throughout her life, but has channeled her experiences into her art as a form of therapy and survival strategy.

Why it matters

Kusama's openness about her mental health challenges at a time when such topics were heavily stigmatized was extraordinary. Her art, which often appears playful on the surface, delves into deeper themes of self-obliteration, the commercialization of the art world, and the gender pay gap faced by female artists.

The details

Kusama began experiencing hallucinations around the age of 10, seeing dots and net patterns enveloping everything in her mind's eye. She has attributed these early visions to the psychological strain of growing up with an unloving mother. After attending the Kyoto School of Arts and Crafts, Kusama held her first exhibitions in her hometown of Matsumoto. Feeling stifled by the conventions and expectations of postwar Japan, she moved to New York in 1958, where she became part of the avant-garde scene and produced a vast body of art, including her meticulous "Infinity Net" paintings and soft, often phallic fabric sculptures. In the 1960s, Kusama held "happenings" as protests against the Vietnam War, often involving nudity and sexual activity.

  • Kusama was born on March 22, 1929.
  • She moved to New York in 1958.
  • In 1966, Kusama staged her work "Narcissus Garden" at the Venice Biennale.
  • Kusama returned to the Venice Biennale as an officially invited artist in 1993, representing Japan.
  • The Museum Ludwig in Cologne is showing the retrospective "Yayoi Kusama" until August 2, 2026.

The players

Yayoi Kusama

One of Japan's foremost contemporary artists, known for her Instagrammable "Infinity Rooms" and large-scale polka dot sculptures. She has faced major social and mental health challenges throughout her life, but has channeled her experiences into her art as a form of therapy and survival strategy.

Georgia O'Keeffe

A fellow artist who helped Kusama gain a foothold in the US after she moved to New York in 1958.

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What they’re saying

“My artwork is an expression of my life, particularly of my mental disease.”

— Yayoi Kusama

“For her, art was a survival strategy and a form of therapy, which she always made clear without making it the main focus.”

— Stephan Diederich, Curator of the Kusama retrospective at Cologne's Museum Ludwig

“Why should people who share pleasure with each other go to war and kill others? Through free sex, the wall between me and others can be torn down.”

— Yayoi Kusama

What’s next

The Museum Ludwig in Cologne will continue to showcase the retrospective "Yayoi Kusama" until August 2, 2026.

The takeaway

Kusama's art and life story serve as a powerful testament to the transformative power of creativity in the face of mental health challenges and societal expectations. Her openness about her experiences and her commitment to using art as a form of therapy and self-expression have made her an inspiration to many.