Yayoi Kusama: A Retrospective

- Blurb -

This career-spanning, multi-faceted retrospective will appeal to new as well as lifelong fans of the legendary Japanese artist. Yayoi Kusama has worked tirelessly since the 1950s, influencing some of the world' s most prominent artists, and pioneering the art of self-promotion. But widespread popular acclaim for her work is a relatively recent phenomenon, with crowds lining up for hours to experience her "Infinity Rooms," and a new museum dedicated to her work opening in Tokyo. This companion volume to a groundbreaking new Kusama retrospective examines her work from myriad aspects, many of which are provocative and wholly original. The book pays particular focus to the years Kusama spent in the US and Europe, tracing her development through early paintings and accumulative sculptures to her hugely popular immersive environments. It examines Kusama' s genius for personal branding, and illuminates her commitment to political and social issues in Europe, America and Japan. A diverse selection of images and archival documents are augmented through enlightening texts by authors from different theoretical backgrounds. These essays discuss Kusama' s accomplishments in the worlds of fashion, film, art marketing, and publishing; focus on her cultural identities and artistic spheres; and offer genre-specific observations about Kusama' s performances, installations and series of paintings. As panoramic and fascinating as its subject, this monumental retrospective will guide Kusama' s enormous fan base toward a deeper understanding of her creative trajectory and of the breadth of her extraordinary achievement. AUTHOR: Stephanie Rosenthal is the Director of the Gropius Bau since the beginning of 2018. Previously she held the position of Chief Curator at the Hayward Gallery in London from 2007, where she curated critically acclaimed exhibitions. SELLING POINTS: Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929) is possibly the most famous living Japanese artist whose work has been exhibited worldwide. She describes herself as an ' obsessional artist' , whose work is often characterised by her use polka dots and infinity installations This book accompanies an exhibition at the Gropius Bau Museum in Berlin, representing the first comprehensive retrospective in Germany to Kusama' s work This is the most comprehensive book on the artist, which covers the entirety of her career Archival material has been compiled in the creation of this book. Including early reviews and unseen documentary photographs 490 colour illustrations