Yayoi Kusama exhibition to debut at M+ in celebration of the museum’s first anniversary

The upcoming half-year-long show at M+ spotlights Yayoi Kusama, visionary Japanese artist and master of pumpkins, polka dots and pop art.

Yayoi Kusama’s famous spotted pumpkins are coming to Hong Kong! As part of its first anniversary celebrations, M+ is presenting a special exhibition of the very quirky, very influential Japanese artist. Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now will be the largest retrospective of Kusama in Asia outside Japan, featuring more than 200 works, including three brand new pieces for Hongkongers only.

A global cultural icon who honed her craft over seven decades, Kusama is easily recognised for her surreal aesthetic, both in the way she presents herself and as reflected in her sculptural and installation works. The upcoming large-scale exhibition at M+ will narrate the story of the artist’s life from the earliest drawings she made as a teenager during World War II to her most recent immersive pieces. To make viewing easier for visitors, it will be categorised into six different themes: Infinity, Accumulation, Radical Connectivity, Biocosmic​, Death and Force of Life.

Three new works will also make their debut: Death of Nerves (2022), a colourful installation of Kusama’s Infinity Nets motifs cast in three-dimensional space; Dots Obsession—Aspiring to Heaven’s Love (2022), a kaleidoscopic perceptual experience made up of the artist’s signature mirrored spaces and polka dots; and Pumpkin (2022), two new sculptures of — what else — pumpkins.

Beginning 12 November a.k.a. the museum’s one-year anniversary, visitors will be required to purchase tickets in advance ($120 for adults; $60 for concession) to access all M+ exhibitions. Tickets for the Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now exhibition can be bought separately ($240 for adults; $150 for concession). But if you’re short on cash or simply not ready to commit, admission to Pumpkin (2022) and the Hong Kong: Here and Beyond exhibition will remain free.

Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now opens on 12 November 2022 through 14 May 2023 at M+, 38 Museum Drive, West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong. For more information, visit M+ and West Kowloon Cultural District‘s official websites.