• Yayoi Kusama, renowned Japanese artist, died at 97 on August 14 in Tokyo.
• Best known for her polka dot patterns and immersive art installations.
• Kusama continued to create art until her final days, inspired by her hallucinations.
• She held exhibitions globally, with significant popularity in places like Hong Kong.
• Her work achieved record auction prices, solidifying her status in art history.

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, known for her vibrant polka dot motifs and mesmerizing "Infinity Rooms," passed away at the age of 97 from multiple organ failure on August 14 in Tokyo, according to latimes, cbsnews, npr, and scmp.

Throughout her extraordinary career, Kusama transformed the art landscape with her signature style, characterized by repetitive elements and bold use of color. Known for her installations that include giant pumpkin sculptures and immersive infinity spaces, she used her art as a means to express her lifelong struggles with mental health, drawing inspiration from her lifelong hallucinations. “Our earth is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos,” she famously stated, reflecting her unique perspective on existence, according to npr and latimes.

Kusama's art reached global audiences, with notable exhibitions at prestigious institutions like the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. She became a cultural icon, especially for her work that merged art with fashion, collaborating with major brands such as Louis Vuitton. In 2022, a major retrospective at Hong Kong’s M+ museum attracted over 280,000 visitors, showcasing her continuing relevance in today's art world, according to scmp and cbsnews.

In her later years, Kusama remained prolific, creating art until her death and establishing the Yayoi Kusama Museum in Tokyo to house her works. Her studio emphasized her desire to “bring hope and strength for the future to people around the world,” underlining her commitment to her artistic legacy, according to cbsnews and scmp.

Kusama’s effects on contemporary art have been profound, bridging gaps between visual art, performance, and mass appeal. Her work not only broke barriers in the art world but also set records in the auction scene, with pieces like "Interminable Net #4" fetching over $8 million. She leaves behind a significant cultural footprint, as both an artist and an emblem of resilience, according to npr and scmp.