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Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama is known around the world for her colorful paintings, sculptures, performances, and installations. Although her portfolio boasts a range of mediums, Kusama’s art all has one thing in common—dots!
Her colorful, dotty creations are a response to a strange experience she had as a child. When she was sitting in a field of flowers, she started hallucinating that the flower heads created endless seas of dots. By covering surfaces in polka dots, Kusama attempts to merge herself and her viewers with the universe. “Our earth is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos” she says. “Polka dots are a way to infinity. When we obliterate nature and our bodies with polka dots, we become part of the unity of our environment.”
Kusama’s work is also shaped by her childhood love of pumpkins. Unlike the somewhat frightening experiences she had with polka dots and flowers, Kusama found comfort in pumpkins. “I love pumpkins,” the artist said in 2015, “because of their humorous form, warm feeling, and a human-like quality.” From detailed drawings to public sculptures, Kusama’s stylized interpretations of the humble gourd have become some of her most well-known works.
If you know someone that goes totally dotty for Kusama, we’ve curated a list of fun gifts that celebrate the legendary artist. From books and art prints to earrings and miniature sculptures, there’s bound to be something they’ll cherish. Check out our selection below.
Know a Yayoi Kusama fan? Why not give them something that celebrates the legendary artist?
Yayoi Toesama Socks
Chattyfeet | $12.50
Pumpkin Object
LivingInTokyo | $360.75
Dot Kokeshi Doll
Sketch.Inc | $47.50
Yayoi Catsama Enamel Pin
Niaski | $12.50
Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors Book
Mika Yoshitake | $45.95
Yayoi Kusama Iron-On Patch
NaomiHopeDesigns | $8.37
Yayoi Kusama Pumpkin Forever 2018 Exhibition Print
TopArtPrints | $8.85
Polka Dot Clay Earrings
MIROClayDesigns | $18.50
Yayoi Kusama Book
Phaidon Press | $46.38
Vinyl Sticker Set
veronavarro | $7.58
Catsama Cat Card
Niaski | $4.18
Pumpkin Mascot
LivingInTokyo | $78.16
Pumpkin Earrings
Vraauustudio | $28.43
Yellow Dots Print
ZerzuraPrints | $5.80
Kusama-Inspired Mushroom Hat
FrancesIsland | $34.85
Yayoi Kusama: Website | Facebook | Instagram
Related Articles:
How Pumpkins Have Inspired Yayoi Kusama’s Avant-Garde Art for Decades
Yayoi Kusama Installation Fills Abandoned Building With 1,500 Mirrored Spheres
Yayoi Kusama’s Latest Installation “Obliterates” an Entire Apartment in Red Flowers
7 Most Spectacular ‘Mirror Room’ Installations by Yayoi Kusama