Yayoi Kusama, artist known for her polka dot art and ‘infinity mirror’ rooms, dies at 97

TOKYO () — Yayoi Kusama, the renowned Japanese artist known for her famous “Infinity Mirror Rooms” and polka dot art, has died at the age 97.

Kusama died Aug. 14 at a hospital in Tokyo, Yayoi Kusama Studio said, without specifying the cause of death.

“She continued to paint until her final days, never setting aside her brush, and continued exploration of forever love and eternal soul,” the studio’s statement said. “We will carry forward Kusama’s wishes and, through art, continue to bring hope and strength for the future to people around the world.”

Kusama’s work drew widespread attention in Los Angeles at The Broad, which features her famed “Infinity Mirror Rooms.” Kusama’s “Infinity Mirrored Room – The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away” and “Longing for Eternity” are in the museum’s collection.

Kusama, one of Japan’s most respected contemporary artists, was widely exhibited around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and the Museum Ludwig in Germany.

Repetitive motifs were her trademark, in various shapes, resembling netting, swirls or worms, but most often dots, dancing proudly on her canvases, or as sparkling balls or dots of light in her installations, in all their vibrant psychedelic glory.

“We will carry forward Kusama’s wishes and, through art, continue to bring hope and strength for the future to people around the world,” the studio’s statement added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.