Japanese, b. Matsumoto, 1929

—Pumpkin —

Yayoi Kusama
Japanese, b. Matsumoto, 1929

Pumpkin
2016
Fiber-reinforced plastic
Collection of the artist

For Yayoi Kusama pumpkins represent a source of radiant energy. They are, perhaps, the artist's most beloved motif, appearing in painting, drawings, sculptures, and some of her most important installations. Both endearing and grotesque, the giant gourds have been a source of inspiration for Kusama since her childhood, when she was surrounded by her family's seed nursery in prewar Japan. In one of her autobiographical poems, she writes, "Pumpkins bring about poetic peace in my mind. Pumpkins talk to me."

The work seen here is on view in conjunction with Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors (February 23-May 14, 2017), an exhibition that traces the artist's iconic Infinity Mirror Rooms over fie decades. This landmark show aims to reveal the ways in which the installations developed from a strategy of "self-obliteration" during the Vietnam War to a means of social harmony in the present. Each Infinity Mirror Room is presented alongside other key artworks, including a selection of the Kusama's most recent large-scale paintings and soft sculptures.

Visit Hirshhorn.si.edu/InfiniteKusama to learn more.
#InfiniteKusama

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