The mention of 'Yayoi Kusama' immediately brings to mind eclectic and colourful polka-dotted artworks and infinity installations. But ardent fans would know that the Japanese contemporary artist started as a monochrome artist in her early days – specifically, in the 1950s when she pioneered her 'Infinity Net' paintings. They were monochromatic canvases filled with thousands of tiny dots.
At Ota Fine Arts Singapore's latest exhibition 'Yayoi Kusama: Recent Paintings', the artist is once again showcasing her monochromatic prowess. Marking Kusama's first solo presentation in Singapore since her large retrospective at the National Gallery Singapore in 2017, the artist showcases 15 monochrome paintings from her 'My Eternal Soul' series made in 2019-2020 and 'CLOUDS' in 2019. This is the first time these works are shown in Southeast Asia.
Kusama started these works in 2018 when she was working intensively on a series of 100 x 100 cm paintings. She then began making these paintings in monochrome a year later. A huge contrast to her other paintings of the same series which are covered in bright, vibrant colours, these paintings feature bold black lines that envelop the canvas together with her wealth of varied motifs: eyes, faces, biomorphic shapes, nets and dots.
The latest works – with titles such as 'All Of My Love For Humanity (2019)' and 'Looking Into The Universe From My Heart (2019)' – provide a glimpse of Kusama's current state of mind. 'CLOUDS', on the other hand, a sculpture installation consisting of pieces of mirror-finished stainless-steel forms. In a press statement by Ota Fine Arts, the gallery states: "They echo, reflect and complement the lines in Kusama's paintings, creating at once an expansive yet immersive atmosphere that allows for imagination beyond the walls of the gallery."
And if you prefer to stay home, you can still enjoy the artworks from the online viewing room here.