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Death and posthumous legacy of artist Yayoi Kusama

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2026-09-09 12:24 UTC → 2026-09-11 03:59 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama died at the age of 97 on August 14, 2026, at a hospital in Tokyo. Known as the ‘Queen of Polka Dots,’ Kusama was a pioneering figure in contemporary art, famous for her repetitive net paintings, immersive ‘Infinity Mirror Rooms,’ and motifs that explored themes of infinity and ‘self-obliteration.’ Following her death, several major exhibitions and tributes have been organized to honor her legacy. On September 11, 2026, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam opened a major posthumous retrospective. The exhibition features over seventy years of her work, including a large yellow pumpkin sculpture with signature black dots and the installation titled ‘Infinity Mirrored Room — The Hope Of The Polka Dots Buried In Infinity Will Eternally Cover The Universe.’ Curator Leontine Coelewij noted that Kusama’s use of repetitive motifs served as a way to process hallucinations and explore the cosmos. The museum show highlights her long-standing connections to the Netherlands, dating back to her activities in Amsterdam during the 1960s. In Japan, a memorial screening of the 2008 documentary ‘Near Equal: Yayoi Kusama I Adore Myself’ is scheduled to begin on October 2, 2026, at various locations including Human Trust Cinema Yurakucho. Directed by Takako Matsumoto, the film captures Kusama’s daily life and creative passion. Matsumoto, who has collaborated with the artist since 1995, described Kusama herself as her ‘greatest masterpiece.’ Additionally, the David Zwirner gallery in New York has announced a posthumous exhibition for April ~~2027. This show will focus~~ 2027, focusing on the final decade of her ~~career, which gallery director David Zwirner described as ‘perhaps her most remarkable and successful.’~~ career.

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