Bold, talented and peculiar, our Queen Sheva of the Week is never afraid to use her art to criticize even the most controversial topics. Yayoi Kusama may be 86 years old, yet she continues to defy, scandalize, and perhaps most importantly, inspire.
Yayoi Kusama was born in Matsumoto, Japan in 1929, into what can be described as a very repressive childhood. She had an abusive mother, strict schooling and grew up in a society where thinking or acting differently was highly frowned upon. During World War I, any form of art that wasn’t explicitly war propaganda was banned, yet a young Kusama began painting during this time. As she grew up, she began experimenting with repetitive motifs, psychedelic art and sexuality, always refusing to fit the mold of the compliant Japanese girl she was brought up to be.
By the 1950s, Kusama had already become extremely popular in Japan, France and New York, and slowly became accoladed all over the world. She is known for having inspired Andy Warhol and other prominent artists, as well as for being an integral part of the avant-garde movement. Kusama also uses her art to criticize violence, in particular during the Vietnam War. (She once wrote an open letter to Richard Nixon offering to have sex if he would stop the war. Talk about commitment.)
Interestingly, although many of her art pieces have been interpreted to convey feminist messages, she refuses to be categorized as such. For Kusama, being labeled a “feminist” means being stripped of her identity — she wants to be known as Yayoi Kusama, period. But wouldn’t you say this is feminist in itself?
It’s these kinds of paradoxes that not only define Kusama but also her artwork — paradoxes that make you want to delve deeper into her history and her message. Today, at 86 years old, Kusama continues to travel the world and influence millions with her atypical forms of expression. She might not want to be called a feminist, but she sure challenged the stereotype of what women are supposed to be.
Kusama’s The Obliteration Room at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane, Australia. Kusama is often known for producing interactive pieces, where the public can participate and form part of the art itself.
