Yayoi Kusama
1929-present · Japanese (Matsumoto/New York/Tokyo) · Contemporary Art
Known for: The Infinity Artist - polka dots, infinity rooms, and pumpkins from the world's most popular living artist
Kusama has voluntarily lived in a psychiatric institution in Tokyo since 1977, walking to her studio across the street every day. She began hallucinating as a child - seeing dots covering everything - and turned her mental illness into art.
She moved to New York in 1958, was ahead of Pop Art and Minimalism but largely uncredited. She is now in her 90s and the most commercially successful living female artist.
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