Yayoi Kusama

Hello! My name is Yayoi Kusama, and I am an artist who loves to share my vision with the world. I was born in a city called Matsumoto, Japan, on March 22nd, 1929. My family owned a plant nursery, which was like a giant garden full of beautiful flowers and plants. I loved spending my time there more than anywhere else.

My favorite thing to do was draw. I would take my sketchbook out to the fields and draw the pumpkins for hours. As I looked at the world around me, I started to see patterns everywhere. It felt like everything—the flowers, the trees, and even the sky—was covered in dots! These dots made me feel like I was a part of everything, so I began to fill all my drawings with them.

I had a big dream to share my art with people all over the world. In 1957, I decided to be brave and moved far away from my home to a very big and busy place called New York City. It was so exciting but also very different from Japan! I started painting giant pictures that I called 'Infinity Nets.' I made them with thousands of tiny, looping brushstrokes that looked like a net that could go on forever. Soon, I began to add my favorite pattern to everything: polka dots! I painted dots on my pictures, on statues, and even on clothes. For me, each dot was a way to spread love and show that we are all connected, like one big, happy family.

I had an idea to create a room that felt as magical and endless as the universe. So, in the 1960s, I made my very first 'Infinity Mirror Room.' When you walk inside, you see mirrors on the walls, the ceiling, and the floor. I add twinkling lights or colorful objects covered in dots. The mirrors reflect them over and over again, making you feel like you're floating in a beautiful, sparkling space. It’s my way of sharing the feeling that everything is connected. And I never forgot about the pumpkins I loved to draw as a little girl. I started making huge, bright pumpkin sculptures covered in polka dots that make people smile.

After living in America for many years, I moved back to Japan. I still live there today, and I go to my studio to make art every single day. Creating art is how I share my feelings with the world. I hope that when you see my polka dots, my pumpkins, and my special Infinity Rooms, you feel happy and full of wonder. My dream is for my art to be a joyful place for everyone, forever.