Yayoki Kusama exhibit in A'dam Stedelijk Museum turned into tribute after artist's death

The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. The museum has turned an upcoming retrospective exhibition into a “posthumous tribute celebrating Kusama’s life and work,” the museum said on Thursday. The exhibition opens on September 11.

Kusama died at the age of 97 in a hospital in Tokyo on August 14, her company said in a statement published on Thursday. Kusama devoted her life to art and continued to paint until her final days, the company said.

Kusama’s giant, quirky work involved brightly colored polka-dot and patterned-covered statues and installations where the boundary between individuals, their surroundings, and infinity seems to dissolve, the Stedelijk Museum said. It described the artist, known for her bright red wig, as “one of the most influential and pioneering artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.”

“The passing of Yayoi Kusama is profoundly sad news. Her art speaks to people around the world and transcends generations, cultures, and national borders,” said Rein Wolfs, Director of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. “In her work, the distinction between yourself and the world around you disappears: you become part of something greater than yourself. At its heart lies a powerful idea of connection that remains deeply meaningful today.”

Leontine Coelewij, curator of the Yayoi Kusama exhibition, called it a “great honor” to have built this exhibit in consultation with Kusama and her studio. “The fact that she continued tirelessly to make new work until late in life is a testament to her extraordinary artistic strength. Kusama transformed her personal experiences into a highly distinctive visual language, which she continued to develop throughout her life without ever losing its power or conviction.”

The Yayoi Kusama exhibit will be in the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam from September 11 through January 17, 2027. The exhibition will showcase a wide range of artistic media, including painting, sculpture, installations, drawing, fashion, and collages.

By turning the exhibition into a tribute, the museum hopes to offer “not only a reflection on her exceptional artistic practice, but also a space to consider her lasting influence and significance”