Overview
- Kusama died on Friday, August 14, 2026, in a Tokyo hospital, the artist’s studio said when it posted the news on August 27.
- The official studio statement said she “continued painting until her last days” but did not give a cause of death; the Japanese agency Jiji Press later reported multiorgan failure.
- Kusama moved to New York in 1957, became a key figure in the 1960s avant‑garde, returned to Japan in the early 1970s, and entered a psychiatric hospital voluntarily in 1977 while keeping a nearby studio and daily practice.
- She was best known for polka dots, large pumpkin sculptures and her Infinity Mirror Rooms, and she received major honors, opened a dedicated Tokyo museum in 2017, and worked on high‑profile brand collaborations.
- Museums, galleries and collectors have shown renewed interest since the announcement, with ticket demand and market attention rising as institutions and Kusama’s studio prepare next steps on exhibitions and memorials.