The Crazy Polka-dot Lady

    People may not remember the name Yayoi Kusama, but for those who have seen her work, it's really hard not to be impressed by her stunning polka dots obsession. She is known as the 86 year old polka-dot princess, one of the most famous artist in Japan and who has influenced on several generations of contemporary artists. You will never fail to find polka dots in her work. Hundreds... thousands...millions of polka dots, big and small, repeatedly, and are often presented with lively bright colors. Not only her work, but the way she dresses herself also states strongly of Yayoi Kusama's style. She always show up in her bright red wig, heavily outlined makeup, and a colorful dress with her very own polka dot patten. You couldn't mistaken her for someone else, and will not feel that she is out of place with her custom. Yayoi Kusama is no doubt an unique character.



     Have you ever wondered about how Yayoi Kusama came to be? Yayoi Kusama was born at March 22 1929 in the mountain region of  Nagano Prefecture,  a town known as the Matsumoto City. She was born and raised by a upper middle class family which makes a living from wholesale seed nurseries. She was the smallest child among her four siblings. However, it wasn't until much later that she exposed her childhood experience being abused by her mother, who's violence was released upon small Yayoi because Yayoi's father had affairs with many other women. Neither of her parents gave her support nor love. Her childhood memory remained a dreadful impact throughout her entire life. Which ultimately lead to her artistic career as a feminist, and her anger against any type of political and social oppression.

‘My father had lots of lovers and I had to spy on him for my mother. Because my mother was very angry it made even the idea of sex very traumatic for me. My work, including the naked happenings, is always about overcoming that bad experience. And my visual language all still comes from my hallucinations, which I have seen since my childhood.’

 

      Below is the portrait of Yayoi Kusama's mother, who is covered with dots.

 

      Like most artists, Yayoi Kusama discovered her interest in art ever since she was little. Her passion to become a professional artist, of course, was strongly discouraged by her family, who expected her to be like every other female in Japan, to be trained as a traditional housewife. It was extremely rare for a woman to pursue an artistic career, even in western culture. Kusama left home in pursue of her art career. She combined learning from both Japanese Nihonga style and Western soil painting style and eventually developed her very own art style, by turning her hallucination into physical drawings. She would see plants with human face, they talk to her with voices that's too loud to bear. Or, she sees bright light with every kind of different shape. Each time she experienced hallucinations, she would go home and draw those images into her sketchbook. She said it's her way to "control" her fear and despair. Art is her last resort to keep her living.

Yayoi Kusama in her youth

     Yayoi Kusama is a person who constantly travels between fantasy and reality, to her is not such a pleasant experience at all. You will sense a lot of "despair", "brokenness","vanished" and many many things words can't describe in Yayoi Kusama's art. She is constantly living on the edge of life and death, fighting against her misery, anxiety, and fear. Art is her medicine, the last open window of the living prison. To her, the phrase "art is life" is most true to her in both mental form and physical form than any other artists in the world.