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PHOTO ESSAY/Remembering the 'Queen of Polka Dots' through her Taiwan works

08/28/2026 06:19 PM
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Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama. Photo courtesy of the Associated Press
Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama. Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

Taipei, Aug. 28 (CNA) Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama, renowned worldwide for her polka dots, infinity nets and pumpkin sculptures, died Aug. 14 of multiple organ failure at a Tokyo hospital. She was 97.

Several of Kusama's distinctive public artworks can be found across Taiwan.

CNA graphic
CNA graphic
"Pumpkin," a mirror-finished steel sculpture by Kusama, stands at Taipei's Syntrend Creative Park in 2015. The artwork features polka-dot openings that glow purple after dark. CNA file photo
"Pumpkin," a mirror-finished steel sculpture by Kusama, stands at Taipei's Syntrend Creative Park in 2015. The artwork features polka-dot openings that glow purple after dark. CNA file photo
Kusama's public art installation "I Go to My Boyfriend in High Heels" stands outside Yuanlin Station in Changhua County in this undated photo. Featuring Kusama's signature polka dots, the sculpture depicts the joy of a young woman setting off to meet her boyfriend. CNA file photo
Kusama's public art installation "I Go to My Boyfriend in High Heels" stands outside Yuanlin Station in Changhua County in this undated photo. Featuring Kusama's signature polka dots, the sculpture depicts the joy of a young woman setting off to meet her boyfriend. CNA file photo
"Spirit of Pumpkin" stands on the lawn outside the National Palace Museum Southern Branch in Chiayi County in this undated photo. According to the museum, the black-and-white granite sculpture is one of Kusama's rare stone works and was inspired by her belief that a pumpkin, like a human soul, possesses its own distinct personality. Photo courtesy of the National Palace Museum Southern Branch Aug. 27, 2026
"Spirit of Pumpkin" stands on the lawn outside the National Palace Museum Southern Branch in Chiayi County in this undated photo. According to the museum, the black-and-white granite sculpture is one of Kusama's rare stone works and was inspired by her belief that a pumpkin, like a human soul, possesses its own distinct personality. Photo courtesy of the National Palace Museum Southern Branch Aug. 27, 2026
"My Future Seated on a Rock" at the Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park was Kusama's first public artwork in Taiwan. The 5.2-meter-tall fiberglass sculpture features her iconic yellow pumpkin covered in black polka dots. CNA file photo
"My Future Seated on a Rock" at the Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park was Kusama's first public artwork in Taiwan. The 5.2-meter-tall fiberglass sculpture features her iconic yellow pumpkin covered in black polka dots. CNA file photo
"All My Dreams Fly to the Sky" is another of Kusama's public artworks at the Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park. Completed in 2013, the mosaic installation depicts schools of fish swimming together, symbolizing the possibilities created by combining traditional agriculture with emerging technology. CNA file photo
"All My Dreams Fly to the Sky" is another of Kusama's public artworks at the Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park. Completed in 2013, the mosaic installation depicts schools of fish swimming together, symbolizing the possibilities created by combining traditional agriculture with emerging technology. CNA file photo

(By Lee Chieh-yu)

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