Born in Nagano Prefecture.

Avant-garde Sculptor, Painter and Novelist.

Started to paint using polka dots and nets as motifs at around age ten, and created fantastic paintings in watercolors, pastels and oils.1957 Went to the United States. She has showed large paintings, soft sculptures, and environmental Sculptures using mirrors and electric lights.

Exhibitions

1960s       Staged many happenings such as body painting festivals, fashion shows and anti-war demonstrations

1968        The film “Kusama’s Self-Obliteration”which Kusama produced and starred in won a prize at the Fourth International Experimental Film Competition in Belgium and the Second Maryland Film Festival and the second prize at the Ann Arbor Film Festival.

1973        Returned to Japan. Continued to produce and show art works

1983        The novel “The Hustlers Grotto of Christopher Street” won the Tenth Literary Award for New Writers from the monthly magazine YaseiJidai.

1986        Solo exhibitions at the Musee Municipal, Dole and the Musee des Beaux-Arts de Calais, France,

1989        Solo exhibitions at the Center for International Contemporary Arts, New York and the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, England.

1993-1994      45th Venice Biennale. Produced open-air pieces for many places in and abroad

1996        Solo show in New York ,won the Best Gallery Show in 1995/96 and 1996/97

1998-1999      A major retrospective of Kusama’s works which opened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art traveled to the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Walker Art Center and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo.

2000        Kusama won The Education Minister’s Art Encouragement Prize and Foreign-Minister’s Commendations. solo exhibition at Le Consortium in France in the same year traveled to Maison de la culture du Japon, Paris, KUNSTHALLEN BRANDTS ÆDEFABRIK, Denmark, Les Abattoirs, Toulouse, KUNSTHALLE Wien, Art Sonje Center, Seoul.

2001-2002      Received the Asahi Prize, The Medal with Dark Navy Blue Ribbon,

2003        The French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Officier), and the Nagano Governor Prize (for the contribution in encouragement of art and culture)

2004        Solo exhibition “KUSAMATRIX” at Mori Museum in Tokyo.which drew visitors totaling 520,000 people, 2005 Traveled to The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto

2006        Received the 2006 National Lifetime Achievement Awards, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Losette and The PraemiumImperiale –Painting

2008        Documentary film : “Yayoi Kusama, I adore myself” released in Japan and also screened at international film festival and museum.

2009-2010 Exhibition at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, Museum of Contemporary Art Sydney in Australia, City Gallery Wellington in New Zealand. Solo exhibition at Gagosian Gallery NY and LA, VictoraMiro Gallery in London and Padiglioned’ArteContemporanea in Milan. Honored as Person of Cultural Merits in Japan Solo exhibition

2011        Mar KUSAMA Yayoi ’Begining of love’Mar 23-Apr 17,Roppongi Hills A\D Gallery, 
Apr The 20-year-Old Starting Point of Painters Apr 16-Jun 12,The Hiratsuka Museum of Art, May yayoi kusama May 10-Sep 18,Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain,

2012        Yayoi Kusama「Forever」Kokuritsu InternationalMuseum of Art（Osaka）、SaitamaMuseum of Art、Matsumoto Museum of Art、Niikata Museum of Art；Tate Modern（London）； Victorary・Milo・Gallery；Yayoi Kusama une nana cool Limited Shop；Double Vision: Contemporary Art from Japan；Ropogi Art Night2012；YAYOI KUSAMA ，Whitney Museum of Art（NewYork）； 

Jul Art Book KUSAMA YAYOI PRINTS 1979-2011 published by ABE PUBLISHINGLTD,Tokyo