Yayoi Kusama

When traveling through Japan today, one frequently encounters the unmistakable presence of Yayoi Kusama’s art. Whether in exhibition announcements, museum galleries and their shops, in bookstores, or displayed in the windows of contemporary art dealers, her vision permeates cultural life. To imagine someone telling Kusama, when she left her homeland in 1957 as a young woman embarking alone for New York to carve out a place for herself in the art world, that she would one day be so revered in Japan—it is unlikely she would have believed it.

And yet, such is the reality. At the opening of one of her major exhibitions, it is common to find a line of admirers forming outside the museum doors a full hour before entry begins. This was precisely the scene in May 2025 at the Kyocera Museum in Kyoto, where we attended the opening day of a sweeping retrospective of Kusama’s printed works. The audience was large and diverse: elderly Japanese, young art enthusiasts, and many international visitors—ourselves among them—waiting patiently for admission. The exhibition ranged from early pieces, such as Going to the Field with Shoes On (1979), to the celebrated motifs that secured her global fame: the dotted pumpkins, often set against grid-like backgrounds reminiscent of fractured mirrors, as well as her countless floral and animal forms.

Among the many places where Kusama’s works may be encountered, it was the experience on the extraordinary island of Naoshima that left us most deeply moved. Upon arrival at the small harbor of Miyanoura, one is greeted by her iconic, walk-in installation—the great red pumpkin. We, of course, could not resist stepping into its entirely black interior, peering out to sea through its small, round windows. Our next stop was the Valley Gallery building designed by Tadao Ando, housing part of Kusama’s celebrated installation Narcissus Garden. Even from a distance, the silver spheres shimmer across the pond before the structure, rearranging themselves endlessly as the wind stirs them, chiming faintly as they touch. Inside, a narrow passage of Ando’s signature exposed concrete leads to a small, tiered stage upon which another cluster of spheres is displayed.

And then there is the Yellow Pumpkin. Even if one has seen it countless times in photographs—standing on the pier before the Benesse House, gazing across the Seto Inland Sea—nothing can compare to the experience of standing before it in person. Framed by the island’s breathtaking natural scenery, the shifting tides, and the ever-changing light of the day, the sculpture exerts a quiet power, leaving the viewer profoundly moved.

In Tokyo, no journey would be complete without a visit to the Yayoi Kusama Museum. Approaching the slender, five-story building, one may at first wonder whether such a space could possibly suffice to honor her vast oeuvre. Yet upon entering, with exhibitions dedicated entirely to her work, one senses an intimacy, a closeness to Kusama’s inner world that even the most seasoned reader of her biography cannot quite anticipate. Due to the steady flow of visitors, time slots are managed with strict precision—advance online reservations are essential. For bibliophiles, the museum’s top floor should not be missed: here lies a small library of Kusama-related publications, many of which are nearly impossible to find outside Japan.

We returned to Vienna with the impression of having immersed ourselves more deeply in Kusama’s world, resolved to return again. For there remain installations awaiting us—the Matsumoto City Museum in her hometown, the Kirishima Open-Air Museum, the Fukuoka Art Museum, among others.

If you are interested in artworks by Yayoi Kusama, please contact us.

Contact