Yayoi Kusama: Posthumous exhibitions announced following death at 97

Avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama passed away on August 14 at the age of 97. Known globally for her signature polka dots, net paintings, and immersive installations, she was one of the most commercially successful contemporary artists, leading the market in auction sales in 2023.

To honor her legacy, several major exhibitions have been announced. The David Zwirner gallery in New York will host an exhibition in April 2027 focusing on the final decade of her career, a period described by the gallery as her most successful. Additionally, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam will open a major retrospective on September 11, 2026, featuring over seventy years of her work, including paintings, sculptures, and fashion.

Kusama’s career was marked by her move from Japan to New York in the late 1950s, where she became a central figure in the counterculture movement, engaging in political protests and performance art. Her work often served as a way to process psychological experiences, including hallucinations, which she translated into her iconic visual language.