Yayoi Kusama
Well known for her use of dense patterns of polka dots and nets, as well as her intense, large-scale environments, Yayoi Kusama works in a variety of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, film, performance, and immersive installation. Born in Japan in 1929, Kusama came to the United States in 1957 and quickly found herself at the epicenter of the New York avant-garde. She established her name with her enormous *Infinity Net* paintings and her gallery-filling installations, which ensconce the visitor in thousands of colorful little stuffed textile protrusions – often phallus-like. Kusama's fame also spread thanks to the succès de scandale surrounding her public happenings, which have included men and women performing naked in the streets of New York. In 1973, mental health problems prompted Kusama to return to Japan, where she continued to play a prominent role in the world of art. In the West she gradually disappeared from the radar until about a decade ago, when a new art public became acquainted with her work. Working across several disciplines, Kusama continues to develop an increasingly diverse, rich and multilayered oeuvre. Her interest in sensory experiences and space-filling installations combined with her radical and obsessive history has had a marked impact on a number of prominent trends in contemporary art.