Yayoi Kusama was a contemporary Japanese artist who worked primarily in the fields of sculpture and installation. She was recognized as one of the most important artists to emerge from Japan and as the world’s most successful living artist. Kusama passed away on August 14, 2026, at a hospital in Tokyo at the age of 97.
Yayoi Kusama Biography
| Full Name | Yayoi Kusama |
| Nickname | Yayoi Kusama |
| Profession | Contemporary artist |
| Date of Birth | 22 March 1929 |
| Age | 97 years old (at the time of her death in August 2026) |
| Birth Place | Matsumoto, Nagano, Empire of Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| School | Not known |
| College | Kyoto School of Arts and Crafts |
| Education Qualification | Arts Training in Nihonga |
| Gender | Female |
| Zodiac Sign | Aries |
| Ethnicity | Japanese |
| Religion | Not known |
| Date of death | 14 August 2026 |
| Death Place | Tokyo, Japan |
| Cause of Death | Natural |
Yayoi Kusama Age
Yayoi Kusama was born on 22 March 1929, in Matsumoto, Nagano, Empire of Japan. She was 97 years old at the time of his death, and her zodiac sign was Aries.
Relationships And More
| Marital Status | Never married |
| Affairs/Boyfriend | None |
| Spouse/Husband | None |
| Children | None |
Yayoi Kusama Family
| Father’s Name | Kamon Kusama |
| Mother’s Name | Shigeru Kusama |
| Sibling’s Name | Three older siblings |
Career
| 1948 to 1949 | Leaves her abusive home to study Nihonga |
| 1950s | She develops her signature polka dots and “infinity Nets” |
| 1959-1965 | Kusama holds her first solo New York exhibition |
| 1965 | She creates her very first mirror installation, Phalli’s Field |
| 1966 | She sets up an outdoor guerrilla installation at the Venice Biennale |
| Lat 1960s | She leads radical anti-war “Happenings” in New York |
| 1973 to 1977 | She exhausted, broke, and suffering from deteriorating mental health, and returned to Japan. |
| 1993 | She is invited to represent Japan at Venice Biennale |
| 2010s-Present | Kusama enters the pop-culture stratosphere |
Yayoi Kusama Height And Weight
| Height (Approx) | In centimeters – 157 cm In meters – 1.57 m In feet & inches – 5’2” |
| Weight (Approx) | In kilograms – 55 kg In pounds – 121 bls |
| Eye Colour | Brown |
| Hair Colour | Dark Brown |
Yayoi Kusama Net Worth
Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama had an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion, alongside a luxury real estate portfolio valued at over $100 million, at the time of her death.
| Net Worth (Approx) | $1.2 billion (at the time of his death in August 2026) |
| Annual Income (Approx) | Update soon |
| Salary (Approx) | According to project |
| Real Estate | Over $100 million, real estate portfolio |
| Income sources | Auction Sales, high-value master-pieces, etc. |
Some Interesting Facts About Yayoi Kusama
- Yayoi Kusama was born and raised in Matsumoto, Nagano, to Kamon and Shigeru Kusama.
- Born into a family of merchants who owned a plant nursery and seed farm.
- She began drawing pictures of pumpkins in elementary school and created artwork she saw in her hallucinations.
- Her mother was physically abusive and was not supportive of her creative endeavors.
- Her traumatic childhood, including her fantastic visions, can be said to be the origin of her artistic style.
- She said her mother would often send her to spy on her father’s extramarital affairs.
- When Kusama was ten years old, she began to experience vivid hallucinations.
- Kusama’s art became her escape from her family and her own mind when she began to have hallucinations.
- At age 13, she was sent to work in a military factory where she was tasked with sewing and other work.
- Her childhood was greatly influenced by the events of the war.
- In 1948, she went to study Nihonga painting at the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and Crafts.
- By 1950, she was depicting abstract natural forms in watercolor, gouache, and oil paint primarily on paper.
- After living in Tokyo and France, Kusama left Japan at the age of 27 for the United States.
- In 1957, she moved to Seattle, where she had an exhibition of paintings at the Zoe Dusanne Gallery.
- During her time in New York, Kusama had a brief relationship with artist Donald Judd.
- Kusama is often quoted as saying, “If it were not for art, I would have killed myself a long time ago.”
- Later in 2017, the Yayoi Kusama Museum opened in Tokyo, featuring her works.
- Yayoi Kusama experienced mental trauma early in her life that affected her mental health.
- Kusama suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder, as well as hallucinations and mania.
FAQ:
How old was Yayoi Kusama?
97 years old (As of August 2026)
What was Yayoi Kusama’s net worth?
At the time of her death, Yayoi Kusama’s net worth was around $1.2 billion.
What happened to Yayoi Kusama?
Yayoi Kusama died on 14 August 2026, at age 97.