Yayoi Kusama, world's top-selling artist, dies at 97 in Tokyo
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Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama died on August 14, 2026, at a Tokyo hospital at age 97. Her museum announced the death, stating she painted until her final days. Kusama was the top-selling contemporary artist of the 21st century, with auction sales of about $81 million in 2023.
Key Facts
- Yayoi Kusama died on August 14, 2026, at a hospital in Tokyo at age 97.
- In 2023, Kusama's works sold for about $81 million at major auctions, making her the top-selling contemporary artist of the 21st century.
- Her exhibition at the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, Germany, which ran until July 2026, became the most successful in the museum's history with over 450,000 visitors.
- In September 2023, the Almaty Museum of Arts in Kazakhstan acquired her immersive installation LOVE IS CALLING, created in 2013.
- Since the 1970s, Kusama voluntarily lived and worked at the Seiwa psychiatric hospital in Tokyo.
Death and Announcement
Yayoi Kusama died on August 14, 2026, at a hospital in Tokyo at age 97. The Yayoi Kusama Museum announced her death on its official Instagram page. The cause of death was multiple organ failure, and the farewell ceremony was held in a narrow family circle. The museum stated that Kusama continued to paint until her last days, remaining faithful to her belief that love can save the world.
Artistic Legacy and Market Impact
Kusama gained worldwide fame for her polka dot motifs, mirror installations, and large-scale spaces creating an effect of infinity. According to a Hiscox insurance company report, her works sold for about $81 million at major auctions in 2023, making her the top-selling contemporary artist of the 21st century. Her exhibition at the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, which ran until July 2026, became the most successful in the museum's history with over 450,000 visitors. In September 2023, the Almaty Museum of Arts in Kazakhstan acquired her immersive installation LOVE IS CALLING, created in 2013. Since April 2015, her work 'Flowers That Will Bloom Tomorrow' has been on permanent display at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku.
Life and Mental Health
Yayoi Kusama was born in 1929 in Matsumoto, Japan. At age 27, she moved to New York, where she quickly became famous for paintings inspired by her hallucinations. She returned to Japan in 1977 and voluntarily entered a psychiatric hospital, where she lived for the rest of her life. During World War II, at age 13, she worked in a factory producing army parachutes. Drawing polka dot patterns helped her cope with childhood trauma and early hallucinations, later becoming her signature style.
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Yayoi Kusama, world's top-selling artist, dies at 97 in Tokyo
