Yayoi Kusama was born in 1929 in Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan, and studied at the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and Crafts before moving to the United States at the age of 27. When she was 10 years old, Kusama began experiencing vivid hallucinations which she then recreated in drawings and paintings. This abstract form, characterized by vast fields of polka dots and net patterns, would later become a trademark of her work. After moving to New York City in 1958, she was further inspired by the avant-garde scene and heavily contributed to the pop-art movement, rising to prominence in the late 1960s. Kusama gained the most public attention through the soft sculptures, mirror and light installations, and outlandish performances she orchestrated during this time period. She moved back to Japan in the 1970s, and later re-focused on abstract, polka-dot covered works that resulted in international interest. Kusama has held solo exhibitions in France, England, Denmark, Sweden, Japan, Germany, New York, Los Angeles, and Miami.
