Image: Yayoi Kusama, “Infinite Mirror Room – The Eternal Infinite Light of the Shining Universe in the Pursuit of Truth,” 2020, Pola Museum of Art, Hakone. ©YAYOI KUSAMA. Exhibition view: “Colors – Unveiling the Secrets of Color: From Impressionism to Contemporary Art,” 2024. Photo: Ken KATO
The Pola Museum of Art has issued a condolence statement following the death of Yayoi Kusama, describing her as a globally recognised avant-garde artist whose career extended across more than half a century. The museum published the statement on August 31, 2026, without providing further details about the circumstances or date of her death.
“Upon receiving the news of the passing of the world-renowned avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama, we respectfully offer our deepest condolences,” the museum said in its Japanese-language announcement. The statement was posted by the Pola Museum of Art, located in Sengokuhara, Hakone, in Kanagawa Prefecture.
In its tribute, the museum linked Kusama’s artistic language to experiences she had described from childhood. It said that hallucinations and inner fears were transformed through the repeated and proliferating forms of polka dots, a motif that became closely associated with her work.
The museum also emphasised Kusama’s sustained international activity at the forefront of contemporary art. Its statement characterised her practice as extending over more than 50 years and said that she maintained throughout her life a belief in the “salvation of the world through love.”
The notice also set out the museum’s own history with the artist. It said that it holds the rare three-dimensional work 《ベッド、水玉強迫》 (2002) and showed it in Japan for the first time in its 2023 exhibition 「部屋のみる夢」, and that 《無限の鏡の間―求道の輝く宇宙の永遠の無限の光》 (2020) was presented in its 2024–2025 exhibition 「カラーズ」. The museum said it would preserve the intentions embodied in the works and carry them into the future. The statement gave no information about memorial events or funeral arrangements.
