"Suddenly light appeared, sparkling, and various things became visible." (Yayoi Kusama Museum) Opening Report: Reading Yayoi Kusama's Art through "Light"
The Yayoi Kusama Museum opened an exhibition reinterpreting Kusama's creative work through the theme of "light." It runs until January 31, 2027.Summary
The Yayoi Kusama Museum in Shinjuku, Tokyo, has opened the exhibition "Suddenly light appeared, sparkling, and various things became visible." It runs until January 31, 2027. The exhibition reexamines the creative work of Yayoi Kusama, who passed away this August, from the perspective of "light." Through a diverse range of works—from 1950s drawings to the iconic "Infinity Nets" series, collages and prints made after her return to Japan, late large-scale paintings, and mirror installations—it introduces the evolution of Kusama's pursuit of light. Kusama experienced hallucinations and auditory hallucinations from childhood, and her artistic origin lies in drawing the images she saw. The light born from within eventually spread onto the canvas surface, evolving into color, material brilliance, and even elements that constitute space itself. At the press preview on October 7, museum curator Chiaki Yamanoi explained that the exhibition attempts to reconsider Kusama's art world through the lens of "light," which has a deep connection to her work but has not received sufficient attention. The first-floor gallery features large metallic paintings "Stars Extinction (Gold)" and "Stars Extinction (Silver)" (both 2010) and a sculptural work "Life" (2023), highlighting differences in light reflection based on materials. The second-floor gallery focuses on the "inner light" at the origin of Kusama's creativity, presenting her childhood hallucination experiences described in her autobiography and works such as "Infinity Nets (2)" (1958). Post-1973 collages, prints, and small sculptures are also displayed, showing the expansion of expression using the luster of materials like glitter, enamel paint, and pearl-containing pigments.
(Source：美術手帖)