Mary Ives Remien, On Yayoi Kusama

Yayaoi Kusama is a Japanese expressionist artist born on March 22, 1929 in Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan. Lacking much formal training, Kusama traveled to the United States to pursue her career as an artist in 1957. Beginning as a minimalist artist in New York City, Kusama created a series of works famously known as “infinity nets,” which consisted of tiny marks repeating across the canvas in order to create sometimes simple, and almost hypnotic patterns. Many of Kusama’s works included repeating polka-dots, which she explains to be symbolic of humanity’s lack of meaning in the universe. She wanted to encourage the viewer to look beyond themselves and beyond the Earth, hoping her work would bring perspective to its viewers. The dots feed into Kusama’s overarching fascination with the concept of “infinity,” which is demonstrated in her work with mirror illusions as well.

Her artwork, especially the infinity nets, resonate with me because, similarly, I often find myself contemplating where I fit into the universe. Her work and message helps me cope with the vastness of our known and unknown world, and it brings me peace of mind to know that all of us, like dots on a page, fit into the masterpiece of life as a whole.