Yayoi Kusama

Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929) transforms the pain of a troubled childhood, marked by hallucinations and obsessive-compulsive neurosis, into a singular body of work built on the recurring motifs of dots and repetition. Her repeating patterns evoke infinity and eternity while blurring the boundary between reality and unreality, seen in signature works such as the "Pumpkin" series, "Pacific Ocean" (an infinite net spanning over 10 meters of canvas), and the phallus-covered "Accumulation" series. Blending feminism, minimalism, surrealism, art brut, pop art and abstract expressionism with autobiographical and psychological content, Kusama's practice has expanded from self-healing into staged same-sex weddings, anti-war happenings and nude performances confronting sexism and racial prejudice in pursuit of world peace and universal love.