Titled Night in Japanese, dated 1989 and signed Yayoi Kusama (lower edge)
Image: 45 by 52.5 cm. / 17.75 by 20.7 in.
Sheet: 53.5 by 61 cm. / 21 by 24 in.
Literature: Yayoi Kusama, Yayoi Kusama Prints 1979-2017, ABE Publishing, Tokyo, 2017, pl. 123, p. 81, illustrated in color
Night by Yayoi Kusama is a vibrant screenprint from 1989, part of a limited edition of 100. The composition features a whimsical birthday cake, crowned with strawberries and six lit candles, set against a vividly patterned backdrop of purples, oranges, and greens. At the base of the cake, a playful lizard seems to be drawn toward the celebratory scene. Kusama’s characteristic bold outlines, dot patterns, and vivid color contrasts transform a simple subject into a surreal, almost dreamlike celebration. The work captures her fascination with repetition, pattern, and the blending of the everyday with the fantastical.
Yayoi Kusama (Japan, 1929) is a pioneering artist known for her avant-garde vision, using polka dots, mirrors, and immersive installations to explore themes of infinity and self-obliteration. Her 'Infinity Rooms' and bold, colorful works have redefined contemporary art, influencing pop art and minimalism. Kusama’s art blends obsession with beauty and transcendence, making her globally celebrated.
Screen-print Screen printing is a technique where ink is transferred through a mesh onto a substrate, with areas blocked by a stencil to prevent ink from passing through. This method, also known as serigraphy or silkscreen printing, is commonly used to produce prints on posters, T-shirts, vinyl, stickers, wood, and other materials. The process is a type of stencil printing, allowing for vibrant, detailed designs on various surfaces.
Titled Night in Japanese, dated 1989 and signed Yayoi Kusama (lower edge)
Image: 45 by 52.5 cm. / 17.75 by 20.7 in.
Sheet: 53.5 by 61 cm. / 21 by 24 in.
Literature: Yayoi Kusama, Yayoi Kusama Prints 1979-2017, ABE Publishing, Tokyo, 2017, pl. 123, p. 81, illustrated in color
Night by Yayoi Kusama is a vibrant screenprint from 1989, part of a limited edition of 100. The composition features a whimsical birthday cake, crowned with strawberries and six lit candles, set against a vividly patterned backdrop of purples, oranges, and greens. At the base of the cake, a playful lizard seems to be drawn toward the celebratory scene. Kusama’s characteristic bold outlines, dot patterns, and vivid color contrasts transform a simple subject into a surreal, almost dreamlike celebration. The work captures her fascination with repetition, pattern, and the blending of the everyday with the fantastical.
Yayoi Kusama (Japan, 1929) is a pioneering artist known for her avant-garde vision, using polka dots, mirrors, and immersive installations to explore themes of infinity and self-obliteration. Her 'Infinity Rooms' and bold, colorful works have redefined contemporary art, influencing pop art and minimalism. Kusama’s art blends obsession with beauty and transcendence, making her globally celebrated.
My life is a dot lost among thousands of other dots.
- Yayoi Kusama
Celebrated for her liberal and multi-faceted approach to creation, Yayoi Kusama is a prominent artist who works primarily across the mediums of installation and sculpture, as well as performance, poetry and painting – Kusama has a unique style with works spanning minimalism, surrealism, conceptual art and abstract expression. Among Kusama's acclaimed works is Grand Orgy to Awaken the Dead, one among many highly public ‘happenings’, in which naked participants were covered in a range of brightly coloured polka-dots; these dots, as well as the theme of infinity, became signature traits of her art – Kasuma has commented on the repetitive nature of her creativity in describing herself as an ‘obsessive artist’. Kusama counts fellow artists Eva Hesse and Donald Judd as close friends and influences, and her work has also been of inspiration to Andy Warhol and the Pop Art style. (Artist website)
Sometimes referred to as Conceptualism, this is an art form where the idea(s) or concept(s) behind the work take precedence over material concerns and traditional aesthetics. Many conceptual artworks can be created by anyone simply by following written instructions. The concept or idea is the most essential aspect of the artwork.