Dotty at (He)art: Yayoi Kusama exhibition to open in June
Psychedelic colours, pumpkin motifs and polka dots have long shaped Japanese artist Yayoi Kusamaâs practice. And, come June, fans can finally admire the most extensive collection of her works within South-East Asia yet.
Yayoi Kusama in front of her latest work, 'Life is the Heart of a Rainbow' (2017). Acrylic on canvas. 194cm x 194cm. ©Yayoi Kusama, Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo/Singapore, Victoria Miro, London, David Zwirner, New York.
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When Yayoi Kusama: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow opens at the National Gallery Singapore, expect â alongside her perceptual Infinity Nets series and dotty prints â 120 paintings, sculptures, videos and installations from the â50s to the present, including a recreation of the artistâs experiential infinity mirror rooms. Each is an examination of how Kusamaâs works have created resonance across geographical boundaries, and the societal and personal challenges sheâs overcome to make her mark in the art world. As one of the worldâs most iconic artists, the 87-year-oldâs avant-garde use of shapes and colour have found their way onto Louis Vuitton bags, LancĂŽme lip glosses, and even the front cover of pocket London Underground maps. Kusama, whose pieces reflect the trauma and mental health problems sheâs dealt with since young, continues her artistic practice from a psychiatric hospital where she voluntarily resides.Â
The exhibition is in collaboration with the Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), and will travel there