ARTS / CULTURE & LEISURE
Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama dies at 97
Published: Aug 27, 2026 10:32 AM
Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama has passed away at a hospital in Tokyo at the age of 97, local media reported Thursday.

Kusama, known worldwide for her repetitive imagery of polka dots, pumpkin sculptures and mirror-based installations, died of multiple organ failure on Aug. 14, Kyodo News reported, citing the Yayoi Kusama Museum.

With a career that spanned more than 60 years, the Japanese avant-garde artist became one of the country's signature cultural exports.

Kusama was born in 1929 in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture.