The art world mourns the loss of Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese avant‑garde visionary known for her immersive installations and endless fields of polka dots. Kusama died peacefully in a Tokyo hospital on Tuesday, surrounded by family and close friends. Over a career spanning seven decades, she transformed contemporary art with her signature motifs, pioneering immersive environments that explored themes of infinity, mental health, and self‑obliteration. Her works are housed in major museums worldwide, and her 2019 retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art drew record crowds. Tributes have poured in from artists, politicians, and fans, all honoring her boundless creativity and her role as a cultural icon who broke barriers for women and Asian artists on the global stage.
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