Overview
- Her studio and foundation said she died on Friday, Aug. 14, at a Tokyo hospital from multiple organ failure and that she painted until her final days.
- A private funeral for close family members has already taken place and a public memorial will be scheduled by her foundation and museums.
- Major retrospectives that ran through 2024–26, including the recent Museum Ludwig show in Cologne, will now be presented and framed as posthumous tributes.
- Kusama spent decades turning childhood hallucinations into a distinct visual language of polka dots, pumpkins and Infinity Mirror Rooms that drove record museum attendance and high auction prices.
- Her studio, the Yayoi Kusama Foundation and long‑time galleries are positioned to steward her estate, shape future exhibitions and manage the commercial legacy of her work.