Yayoi Kusama, With All My Love For The Tulips, I Pray Forever, 2011

Pioneering multimedia artist Yayoi Kusama’s work has transcended some of the most important art movements of the second half of the 20th century, including pop art and minimalism. Born in 1929 in Matsumoto, Japan, Kusama studied painting briefly in Kyoto before moving to New York City in the late 1950s. She began her large-scale Infinity Net paintings during this decade and went on to apply their obsessive, hallucinatory qualities to three-dimensional work. In a unique style that is both sensory and utopian, Kusama’s work—which spans paintings, performances, room-size presentations, sculptural installations, literary works, films, fashion, design, and interventions within existing architectural structures—possesses a highly personal character, yet one that has connected profoundly with large audiences around the globe. Throughout her career, the artist has been able to break down traditional barriers between work, artist, and spectator.

Kusama’s exuberant sculptural installation With All My Love For The Tulips, I Pray Forever (2011) exemplifies the dualism found throughout her work between the organic and the artificial. Shown here for the first time in Los Angeles, the oversized flower-potted tulips made from fiberglass- reinforced plastic are painted with the same red polka dots as the floor, ceiling, and walls, creating an immersive viewing experience while at the same time diminishing the appearance of depth. This work exemplifies Kusama’s singular vision and her distinctive gift for drawing viewers into the work on a deeply visceral level.

Kusama currently lives and works in Tokyo.