Yayoi Kusama: A Life in Photos
August 27, 2026
Yayoi Kusama, whose death at age 97 was announced on Thursday, was one of the art world’s most instantly recognizable stars thanks to her bob haircut and polka-dot outfits.
Much of her work was also immediately identifiable, like her mirrored “Infinity Room” installations that drew long lines at museums, or Kusama’s dot-covered pumpkin sculptures that her followers traveled the globe to take selfies in front of.
Yet during a career that lasted more than seven decades, Kusama created a hugely varied oeuvre, including huge abstract paintings, installations featuring fabric phalluses, and naked performance pieces.
Here are photographs reflecting the vast range of her life and career.