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Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama dies at age 97

Renowned for her polka dots and Infinity Mirror Rooms, the avant-garde artist continued painting until her final days.

Updated Aug 27, 2026 · 05:18 UTC10 reports

The short version

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama died on August 14, 2026, at a Tokyo hospital at the age of 97.
Her studio announced her passing on August 27, noting that she actively painted until her final days.
Kusama gained global recognition for her signature polka dots, pumpkin sculptures, and immersive Infinity Mirror Rooms, often channeling childhood hallucinations into her art.
After rising to prominence in New York's 1960s avant-garde scene, she spent her later decades living and working voluntarily in a Tokyo psychiatric facility.

Yayoi Kusama died at age 97 in a Tokyo hospital on August 14, 2026.[BBC News · NPR · Business Insider]
Her studio confirmed she continued painting until her final days.[CBS News · The Guardian · Business Insider]
Kusama moved to New York in the late 1950s and became a key figure in the avant-garde art scene before returning to Japan in the 1970s.[France 24 · Deutsche Welle · The Guardian]
Starting in the 1970s, she resided voluntarily in a Tokyo psychiatric facility while maintaining a studio to create artwork.[BBC News · The Guardian · NPR]
In 2016, Kusama was awarded Japan's Order of Culture, the nation's highest honor for artists.[ABC News · CBS News]

Kusama's cause of death was omitted from the official studio statement, though her representative David Zwirner stated she died from multiple organ failure.[NPR · Business Insider]