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Ground floor

Yayoi Kusama

Pumpkin (White)
1992
Screenprint
72 x 60 cm

Contemporary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama once said: “Our earth is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos.” 

How does this statement make you feel – do you think the Earth is small…or does this make you feel part of something bigger? The unknown limits of the universe is a concept that has captivated Kusama. 

Back in the 1930s, a young Yayoi Kusama experienced her first hallucinations, mesmerised by the patterns on her family’s tablecloth. These visions would be both an inspiration and a catalyst for one of the most prolific female artists in history. 

Today, Kusama is celebrated for her captivating polka dot-covered art and immersive Infinity Rooms, that offer viewers a glimpse into vast cosmic universes. Additionally, the artist is known for exploring her sexuality, freedom, and her obsessive-compulsive disorder. 

Kusama’s success in the art world reflects her relationship with her mental health. Voluntarily, the artist has checked herself into a psychiatric hospital in Japan, where she continues to create art while receiving treatment. Her art therapy sessions have been instrumental in her recovery and creative process. 

Yayoi Kusama’s work is evidence of the power of art to heal, transform, and transcend boundaries — proving that art can truly be a means of infinite connection.

Yayoi Kusama, Pumpkin (White), 1992. © YAYOI KUSAMA