Yayoi Kusama

Hello! My name is Yayoi Kusama, and I am an artist who absolutely loves polka dots. I was born on March 22nd, 1929, in a beautiful city called Matsumoto, Japan. My family owned a plant nursery, so I grew up surrounded by fields of flowers and plants. It was a world full of color and life. When I was about 10 years old, around 1939, something strange and wonderful began to happen. I started seeing the world around me covered in patterns and dots. Everything from the flowers in the garden to the pebbles on the ground seemed to be part of a giant, connected net. To understand what I was seeing, I began to draw these visions. I filled pages and pages with dots and nets, turning something that could have felt scary into my own special, beautiful art.

From that moment on, I fell completely in love with painting and drawing. My favorite things to create were pumpkins, which I found to be so charming and warm, flowers from my childhood, and of course, polka dots. Polka dots were everywhere in my mind, and I had to put them on paper and canvas. My family did not always understand my dream of becoming an artist. They thought it was not a practical job. But I was determined to follow my passion; I knew deep in my heart that making art was what I was meant to do. I even went to art school in Kyoto for a while, but I quickly realized that I did not want to paint like everyone else. I wanted to create a new kind of art that was all my own, something that could truly show people the amazing world that I saw in my mind.

In 1957, I made a very big decision. I moved all the way across the world to New York City in America. It was both exciting and challenging to be in a new country with a different language and new people. I worked very hard to show everyone my art. I began creating my 'Infinity Net' paintings. These were enormous canvases that I covered in thousands of tiny, endless loops of paint, making it look like the pattern could go on forever. Then, an even bigger idea came to me. In 1965, I created my very first 'Infinity Mirror Room,' which I called 'Phalli’s Field.' I used mirrors on the walls, floor, and ceiling to create a space that looked like it had no end. When you stepped inside, you were surrounded by a universe of my own creation, a field of soft, spotted objects that repeated into forever. It was like inviting people to step right inside one of my visions.

After many years in America, I returned to Japan in 1973. I realized I needed a calm and quiet place where I could focus on my well-being and continue making my art without distraction. So, in 1977, I made a very important choice for myself. I decided to live in a peaceful hospital in Tokyo, and I set up my art studio just a short walk away. This arrangement allowed me to create art every single day in a supportive environment. For a while, I worked quietly, but over time, the world began to notice and celebrate my unique vision. A very proud moment for me came in 1993. I was chosen to represent my home country of Japan at a famous international art show called the Venice Biennale. It was an incredible honor to share my art with the whole world on such a big stage.

Even now, I go to my studio every day to create art. Those polka dots that I first saw as a child are still with me. To me, they represent so many things—the sun, the moon, and all the people in the world. Each dot is like a single person, but together, they form the whole universe. I hope that when you see my art, from my giant, spotted pumpkins to my endless 'Infinity Rooms,' it brings you a feeling of joy and connection. My life's work has been to share what I see with the world and to spread a message of love and peace through the power of art.