《南瓜》(1990年)由草間彌生所繪,並由富士電視台畫廊售出,該畫廊在日本當代藝術的興起中應運而生,且是第一家在日本展出草間彌生繪畫和雕塑作品的畫廊。此時恰逢藝術家重新回歸公眾視野的一大重要事件:她於1989年在紐約國際當代藝術中心舉辦了首個回顧大展,該展覽標誌著草間彌生的作品在美國和歐洲再掀狂潮,而她也在那一年成為了首位出現在《Art in America》雜誌封面的日本藝術家。這一復蘇引起了日本社會重新認識她的作品:創作《南瓜》(1990年)僅一年之後,草間彌生為富士電視台畫廊的重要展覽創作了《鏡屋》(南瓜),而該作亦於1993年的威尼斯雙年展中展出。她成為歷史上首位在威尼斯雙年展舉辦個展的日本藝術家(傳統上,日本藝術家的展覽為二至三人的群展),且成為有史以來首位在這一顯赫的藝術活動中展出的日本女性。在其創作和表演過程中,草間彌生將空間的牆面、地板和天花板漆成黃色,再飾以黑色波點。空間中央放置了一間方塊鏡屋,裡面裝滿紙漿製作的南瓜。觀者可以透過貓眼探視無窮無盡的南瓜圓點,並且能夠直接凝視創作者本人,親身探識這位傳奇藝術家獨特的內心世界。
Named "the world's most popular artist" in 2015, it's not hard to see why Yayoi Kusama continues to dazzle contemporary art audiences globally. From her signature polka dots—"fabulous," she calls them—to her mirror-and-light Infinity Rooms, Kusama's multi-dimensional practice of making art elevates the experience of immersion. To neatly pin an artistic movement onto Kusama would be for naught: She melds and transcends the aesthetics and theories of many late twentieth century movements, including Pop Art and Minimalism, without ever taking a singular path.
As an nonagenarian who still lives in Tokyo and steadfastly paints in her studio every day, Kusama honed her punchy cosmic style in New York City in the 1960s. During this period, she staged avant-garde happenings, which eventually thrust her onto the international stage with a series of groundbreaking exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in the 1980s and the 45th Venice Biennale in 1993. She continues to churn out paintings and installations at inspiring speed, exhibiting internationally in nearly every corner of the globe, and maintains a commanding presence on the primary market and at auction.