Step into Yayoi Kusama’s world, and you’re no longer just a viewer—you’re a participant in an endlessly expanding universe. Her polka-dotted pumpkins and flower sculptures have become global icons, while her infinity mirror rooms seduce us into cosmic reflections on existence itself. Kusama isn’t just an artist; she’s a phenomenon, reshaping the way we interact with art in the twenty-first century.

This year, the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Melbourne takes the Kusama experience to new heights with the largest retrospective of her work ever presented in Australia. Spanning nearly 200 pieces, the exhibition unfurls like one of her hallucinatory patterns, tracing her journey from a precocious child in Matsumoto, Japan, to an avant-garde disruptor in 1960s New York, and back to her homeland as an international art star.

The Infinity Mirror Rooms: Where Space Meets Soul

At the heart of the exhibition lies Kusama’s most celebrated contribution to contemporary art: the infinity mirror rooms. These installations turn mirrors into portals, creating the illusion of infinite space. The newest, Infinity Mirrored Room–My Heart is Filled to the Brim with Sparkling Light (2024), makes its global debut here in Melbourne. Inside, you’re engulfed by light and reflection, the boundaries of self dissolving into a kaleidoscope of endlessness.

But don’t be fooled by the whimsical sparkle; there’s an existential edge to Kusama’s work.

Although Kusama has experimented with many media and forms of expression, her underlying motivation for making art has remained the same, she seeks to convey the complex beauty of the natural world and to explore her (and by extension, our) place within an infinitely expanding universe.

Polka Dots, Pumpkins, and the Psyche

Kusama’s visual language—characterized by her obsessive use of polka dots, vibrant colors, and organic forms—is deeply rooted in her personal history. As a child, she experienced hallucinations that blurred her sense of self, inspiring the patterns and motifs that now define her art. These dots are not just decorations; they’re portals into Kusama’s psyche and metaphors for the infinite and the minute.

The pumpkins, meanwhile, are more than cheerful gourds. For Kusama, they are symbols of comfort and resilience, connecting her work to both the natural world and her own memories.

Beyond the Mirror: A Multidisciplinary Marvel

While the infinity rooms may be Kusama’s most Instagrammed works, this exhibition dives deeper into her multidisciplinary genius. Paintings, collages, films, fashion, and installations fill the NGV’s ground floor and spill into its public spaces, including the iconic Waterwall and Federation Court.

From her radical happenings in 1960s New York to her feminist critiques and pop art provocations, Kusama’s influence on minimalism, performance art, and even popular culture is undeniable. Her art transcends borders, languages, and media, touching on universal themes of love, loss, and the human condition.

Immersion and Accessibility

Kusama’s art is immersive, often dizzying. Visitors with sensory sensitivities are advised to proceed with caution; the exhibition is as much about feeling as it is about seeing. Mirrors, heavy patterns, and vivid colors challenge your senses and your perceptions.

For those ready to dive in, though, Kusama offers not just an art exhibition but a transformative experience. Each room, corridor, and sculpture invites you to question the boundaries of self, time, and space—and maybe leave a little piece of yourself behind in the infinite reflections.

 

Now in her 90s, Kusama shows no signs of slowing down. Her work remains as vital and boundary-pushing as ever, a testament to a lifelong obsession with creation. She is not just an artist of the moment; she’s an artist of the infinite.

In Melbourne, her art sprawls across the NGV like one of her polka-dotted patterns, a celebration of color, pattern, and boundless imagination. “Now is the time to embrace Kusama’s world,” the exhibition seems to whisper. And once you step inside, you might find it hard to leave.