Yayoi Kusama

1929-2026 · Japanese · Pop Art, Minimalism, Avant-garde

Auction record: $10.5M

Untitled (Nets), 1959 · Phillips, New York · May 18, 2022

Biography

Yayoi Kusama was born in Matsumoto in 1929 and moved to New York in 1958, where her Infinity Net paintings, soft sculptures and happenings placed her at the centre of the avant-garde alongside Pop and Minimalism. Back in Tokyo from 1973, she worked for decades from a studio near the hospital where she lived, producing polka dots, pumpkins and Infinity Mirror Rooms that made her one of the most popular living artists in the world. She died in Tokyo on 14 August 2026, aged 97. Her market is among the deepest of any Asian artist, active in New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo at every price level; the record is Untitled (Nets) of 1959, sold for US$10.5 million at Phillips New York in 2022.

Recent auction results

Infinity-Nets (LHLUJ) (2017)Sotheby's, Hong Kong	$2M	Sep 28, 2026	sothebys.com
Pumpkin (1990)Mainichi Auction, Tokyo	$496K	Jul 18, 2026	heni.com
INFINITY-NETS (OOAXT) (2008)Christie's, New York	$1.59M	May 21, 2026	heni.com
River (1990)China Guardian, Hong Kong	$185K	Oct 8, 2025	share.artpro.com

Market

Liquidity: High

Museums

Museum of Modern Art, New York
Tate Modern, Londra
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
Yayoi Kusama Museum, Tokyo
M+, Hong Kong

News

Oct 7, 2026: 10 Japanese Women Artists You Should Know Artsy

Sources

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