An artist Jajoi Kusama since 1977. Voluntarily lives in a psychiatric hospital and creates ten hours each day – culture

It is a Japanese artist whose work is marked by infinite repetition of dots, rooms with mirrors and pumpkin motifs, writes Večernji.hr.

Her work won the audience around the world, and a life story, intertwined with a mental health and continuous search for artistic expression, is equally intriguing.

Born in 1929. in Matsumota, in Japan, she grew up in a wealthy but dysfunctional family. Her father was unfaithful, and her mother pattered her spying on him, which left deep trauma on the young Jajoi.

In the ages of ten, it began to experience vivid hallucinations – flashes, auras and fields of dots threatening to swallow it.

These visions, which included talking with flowers, became the basis of her artistic creativity. Drawing has become its way of dealing with fear and difficult, and motifs from hallucinations, such as dots and pumpkins, became its trademark.

Although she attended Art School in Kyot, Kusama did not agree with the traditional Japanese approach of art. Wishing the freedom of expression in 1958. year, with several hundred dollars sewn in the dress and drawings, moved to New York.

At first she lived very modestly, sometimes they feed on food residues, but she was persistently working on her art.

In New York, Kusama quickly integrated into the avant-garde scene, hanging out with artists like Endy Vorhol and Donald Jad. Its « Infinity Net » images, canvas covered with thousands of small, repetitive brush moves, attracted attention to criticism.

It also developed « Soft Sculptures », facilities covered with false forms, as a form of therapy for its sex phobia, caused by traumatic childhood experiences.

Kusama declares as a sexual person, and avery of sex, which he developed in childhood, has affected her life and creativity.

Although she had a short connection with an artist Donald Jad, her most important romantic relationship was with a Joseph Cornel artist. Their relationship was passionate, but platonic.

In the 1960s, Kusama became famous for his « Happening » performance, in which the bodies of participants painted dots, often in protest against war in Vietnam or Nikson’s policy.

These performance, although they have made media attention, often misinterpreted, showing it as a scandalous figure, not as serious artist.

Kusama claimed that some of her men’s colleagues, including Worhol and Klaes Oldenburg, appropriated her ideas, further made it harder to make her position in the dominantly male art world.

After the death of the Joseph Cornel partner, the house was returned to Japan in 1973. Her mental health deteriorated, and in 1977. she volunteered to Seiv’s psychiatric hospital in Tokyo, where he still lives today.

However, it did not mark the end of her career, but a new beginning. Near the hospital has its own studio, where it works tirelessly, creating images, sculptures and installations.

Her exhibitions attract millions of visitors, and her works achieve record prices at auctions. For example, one of its « Infinity Net » images was sold in 2019. year for € 7 million.

Its « Infinity Mirror Rooms », rooms with mirrors filled with lights and facilities, became a global phenomenon, especially popular on social networks like Instagram.

Kusama has achieved its goal – create « the world’s house ». Its work, imbued with autobiographical elements and psychological themes, is recognizable and understandable to the audience worldwide.

The pumpkin, which began to draw as a child, became one of her most famous motives, symbolizing warmth, humor and humanity.

The dots, which emerged from its hallucinations, became a symbol of infinity and a way to achieve « autolitarization », ie merging around.

Jajoi Kusama never stopped creating. Her life and work evidence is the strengths of art as therapies and means of communication with the world.

Her story inspected and reminds us of the importance of accepting diversity and demolishing tabuos related to mental health.