World-renowned Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama died in Tokyo on August 14, 2026, at the age of 97, just weeks after the close of her record-breaking exhibition at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne.

The major retrospective in Cologne, which ran from March 14 to August 2, 2026, generated unprecedented hype and attracted more than 450,000 visitors, making it the most successful exhibition in the Museum Ludwig's history. Over 300 works spanning seven decades were on display.

Yayoi Kusama died peacefully in hospital from multiple organ failure. She was world-famous for her psychedelic polka dots and net-like structures, which stemmed from hallucinations and obsessive-compulsive disorder she experienced since childhood.

"It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of Yayoi Kusama, who passed away at the age of 97. Kusama herself devoted to a life as an avant-garde artist, working primarily in the visual arts while also extending her practice to performance, novels, poetry, and other... more