Art in London: Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama to Unveil First Public Installation in the UK This Summer

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is renowned for her distinctive style that incorporates vibrant colours, polka dots, and repetitive patterns. Her work spans various media, including painting, sculpture, installation, performance, and film.

Yayoi Kusama in a shop window visual at the Harrods London department store during a store-wide promotional campaign highlighting her collaboration with Louis Vuitton.  
Kusama's signature use of polka dots is a recurring theme in her artwork,
symbolizing infinity and the concept of self-obliteration.
Photo by Lucia Carpio

This summer, London's admiration for Yayoi Kusama continues as she unveils her first UK public installation at Liverpool Street Station in the capital's financial district. Entitled "Infinite Accumulation," the installation opens on July 9 and runs into the autumn. The work highlights Kusama’s signature polka dots, expanding and winding into linked forms that interact with and define the public spaces outside the station. 

According to a statement, the installation is "designed in response to the architecture of the new station entrance and landscaping, encouraging people to look up and engage with the urban environment in a new way."

Additionally, a new large-scale sculpture of Kusama's iconic Pumpkin will be unveiled in the gardens of Serpentine Galleries this summer.

Meanwhile "Every Day I Pray For Love", an exploration into line, colour and form will open at Victoria Miro on September 25 and run till November 2, 2024.  Visitors will be able to immerse themselves in one of Yayoi Kusama‘s Infinity Rooms. This will be the Japanese artist’s 14th with the gallery, which will also include a series of new paintings entitled Every Day I Pray For Love.

In addition to polka dots and the pumpkin, Kusama is also known for her Infinity Mirror Rooms, immersive installations that use mirrors to create the illusion of endless space, filled with lights and patterns, offering a unique sensory experience.

The promotion campaign of the Louis Vuitton X Yayoi Kusama collaboration in February 2023 at the French maison's store on Paris' Champs-Élysées Avenue featured a giant figure of Kusama appearing to be painting her famous polka dots on the facade of the store. 
Photo by Lucia Carpio

Kusama's work has been influential in the avant-garde movement and contemporary art scene, often exploring themes of psychology, feminism, and minimalism.

In addition to numerous high-profile exhibitions worldwide, she has collaborated with fashion brands like Louis Vuitton, bringing her art to a broader audience.

Her unique and innovative approach has made her one of the most celebrated and influential contemporary artists globally.