Japanese avant‑garde visionary Yayoi Kusama, one of the most influential and recognisable artists of the modern era, has died aged 97. Her company confirmed her passing “with profound sorrow,” announcing that she died at a Tokyo hospital on 14 August 2026 after a lifetime devoted entirely to artistic creation.
Kusama’s career spanned visual art, performance, fiction and poetry, and her unmistakable aesthetic from her bright‑red wig to her polka‑dot universe made her a global cultural phenomenon. Despite voluntarily living in a psychiatric hospital for decades, she continued painting until her final days, driven by what her team described as an “exploration of forever love and eternal soul.”
Her rise was anything but conventional. In the 1960s, Kusama’s bold, often provocative work including phallic sculptures and nude performances was dismissed by New York’s male‑dominated art scene. But decades later, she became Japan’s first solo artist to represent the country at the 1993 Venice Biennale, a turning point that transformed her international reputation
By her 80s and 90s, Kusama had become a global icon. Her immersive installations drew massive crowds, her collaborations with luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton became cultural events, and her paintings fetched extraordinary sums including one that sold for $10.5 million in 2022.
Her company said it would honour her legacy by continuing to “bring hope and strength for the future to people around the world” through art. Kusama’s influence spanning generations, continents and artistic disciplines remains unmatched, and her polka‑dot world will continue to inspire long after her passing.
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