Calling her a “legend” and “one of the greatest artists of contemporary art,” Louis Vuitton paid tribute to Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, who died at a Tokyo hospital on Aug. 14 at age 97.
David Zwirner, who represented Kusama, cited “multiple organ failure” as the cause of death.
“She shaped her life and work with extraordinary freedom, imagination, and vision, leaving an indelible mark on the art world over the past decades,” said Pietro Beccari, chairman and chief executive officer of Louis Vuitton. “Her influence on art and culture is immeasurable.”
Kusama collaborated with the French luxury brand twice, in 2012 and again in 2023, applying her beloved dots to handbags, accessories and ready-to-wear, which have become coveted and collectible, commanding high prices on resale sites.
The artist is best known for her obsession with polka dots, which she painted since age 10 and applied to canvases, tree trunks, entire rooms and even people. She first appeared on the art scene in the ’50s, and has also done collages, soft sculptures and performance art.
Vuitton brought attention to Kusama, who worked in obscurity early in her career, by erecting giant sculptures of her — forever hoisting a paint brush — outside its Paris headquarters, flagship stores, and Harrods in London.
An inflatable sculpture of Yayoi Kusama at the Louis Vuitton flagship on Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris.
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton
According to Zwirner, Kusama “continued to paint until shortly before her passing,” and will go down in history books.
“Kusama’s art influenced the histories of minimalism, pop art, and performance art; more recently her large-scale installations single-handedly pioneered what is now referred to as experiential art,” he said, referring to her “Infinity Mirror Rooms,” which became a sensation in the era of smart phones and social media.
Beccari said it was a “profound honor for everyone at Louis Vuitton to have collaborated with her. Her boundless creativity and singular vision have always been a tremendous source of inspiration.”
On behalf of Vuitton, he extended his condolences “to her family, her loved ones, and all those who had the privilege of working alongside her. Her extraordinary legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.”
“The Pumpkin” by artist Yayoi Kusama.
Getty Images
Kusama’s first contact with Vuitton stretches back to 2006, when then creative director Marc Jacobs met the artist at her Tokyo studio, and she presented the American designer with a Vuitton Ellipse bag, whose monogram canvas she had painted over with dots.
He subsequently invited her to collaborate on a line of clothes and accessories in 2012, some decorated with her tentacle-like “nerves” motif.
The encore project, even broader in scope, was conceived and realized in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic via Zoom and file-sharing technology.
Delphine Arnault, then No. 2 at Vuitton, told WWD in 2022, just ahead of the launch: “One of the aspects of her work is happiness, and we thought it would be really refreshing after the pandemic to have the worlds of Vuitton and the world of Kusama meet again.”
In a 2012 interview with WWD, Kusama reflected on a collection she sold at Bloomingdale’s in the ’80s.
“Be it a sculpture or be it clothes, for me it is the same thing. It’s my creation. I don’t see any difference. It is part of my art,” she said. “I will be an artist until the end of my life. If with the power of art, we can touch the hearts of people, it’s a wonderful thing so why not with the help of business. In that sense for me, business can also be a sort of art especially in the fashion world.”
Yayoi Kusama in Louis Vuitton at her Whitney Museum of American Art retrospective in 2012..
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