For her first major exhibition in Switzerland, a collection of works produced over 70 years of activity
At the Beyeler Foundation the first retrospective in Switzerland of Yayoi Kusama is taking place. The exhibition showcases a wide selection of her artistic production, which began 70 years ago. Born in 1929 in Matsumoto, the artist recalls developing a love for polka dots since childhood, nervously sketched on paper (a graphic element that became typical of her later painting style). The hurried execution of these drawings originated from her often frustrated attempts to complete them as quickly as possible, hidden from her mother, who disapproved of her artistic inclination. Her fascination with pumpkins, one of her most frequently depicted subjects, dates back to her childhood and long walks in the countryside with her grandfather. The original and simple shape of the vegetable, as well as its “solid spirituality”, irresistibly captured the child’s attention. Despite her early originality, Kusama received conventional training, attending an art school where she learned the techniques of Nihonga painting. She used ink on paper or silk to depict stylized forms of nature and animals.
Ha iniziato a disegnare i pois da bambina, di nascosto alla madre
Fascinated by Georgia O’Keeffe, she found a way to contact her and followed the advice to leave Japan and move to the United States. She arrived in New York in 1958, immersing herself in a climate of intense cultural tension and innovative exploration that would soon culminate in Pop Art. Having abandoned the rigid stylistic elements of Japanese tradition, Kusama entered a new phase, initially characterized by monochromatic paintings, then influenced by minimalism and surrealism, which led her toward art brut and conceptual art (famously declaring: “I am determined to create a Kusama world that no one has ever seen before”). Quickly noticed by critics and Andy Warhol, who would become a mentor and one of her first buyers, Kusama began producing a vast array of drawings, sculptures, and installations from the 1960s onward. She also engaged in more or less provocative performances, including the Body Painting Happenings (during which she painted people’s bodies with her signature polka dots, turning them into part of the artwork). Her Infinity Mirror Rooms became famous as well: immersive installations made of mirrored walls that give the illusion of an infinite space. All of this suggests that Kusama’s entire body of work, an expert in almost all artistic media, could be considered less a collection of individual pieces and more a singular artwork aiming to represent, like a grand kaleidoscope, her personal and colorful imaginary universe.
La predilezione per le zucche nasce dalle passeggiate in campagna con il nonno
Returning permanently to Japan in 1977, she voluntarily chose to settle at the Seiwa psychiatric hospital, where she continues her intense production. This includes collaborations in various artistic fields: with singer Peter Gabriel (for the music video of Lovetown in 1994) and with fashion house Louis Vuitton, for which she designed bags, bracelets, shoes, beach towels, scarves, and pareos. Such is her international success that her works are now part of major collections, including Tate in London, MoMA in New York, the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo.
Dal '77, per sua volontà, vive nell'ospedale psichiatrico di Seiwa
