27/08/2026
Today, we remember Yayoi Kusama, 草間彌生.
What inspires me most about Kusama is not only the art she leaves behind, but the life she devoted to creating it.
She spent decades building a visual language that was completely and unmistakably her own. The dots, nets, mirrors, pumpkins, repetition, and infinite spaces we immediately associate with her today came from a lifetime of returning to her ideas again and again, trusting her own vision, and continuing to develop it.
Her path as an artist was never conventional. Her career stretched across Japan and New York, across painting, sculpture, installation, performance, writing, fashion, and so much more. Through every chapter, there remained such a strong sense of Kusama in everything she created.
As a fashion designer, her life and work have had a huge effect on me.
Right now, as I continue learning fashion in New York, I find myself constantly trying to stay grounded. Life here moves so quickly. There is always something new to learn, somewhere to be, and another direction you could follow.
In the middle of that growth, I keep reminding myself to stay true to the vision I have for Arta Asiatica.
I think there is a balance between allowing yourself to grow and change while still holding onto the things that made you want to create in the first place. Kusama’s life reminds me how powerful it can be to keep exploring, keep evolving, and still create from a place that feels unmistakably your own.
At 97 years old, she was still painting until her final days.
What an extraordinary thing, to spend a lifetime creating and to leave behind a universe that will continue long after you are gone.
Thank you for showing generations of artists and designers what it can mean to stay devoted to your vision.
草間彌生さんのご冥福を心よりお祈りいたします。
Yayoi Kusama
1929 to 2026 ♾️
#草間彌生
