1929年生於長野縣，前衛雕刻家、畫家、小說家，在日本被認為是現存國寶級的重要現代藝術家，並入選為全球百大重要藝術家（亞洲只有兩位入選）。草間彌生10歲開始患有神經性視聽障礙，常有自殺的企圖。中學畢業後，進入京都市立工藝美術學校，主修日本畫。為了逃離家庭紛爭及封閉的日本社會，廿八歲那年草間彌生隻身前往美國。在紐約的這段時間，是草間彌生月上國際舞台的關鍵期，她與當代重要的普普藝術家包括安迪．沃荷（Andy Warhol）、瓊斯（Jasper Johns）與歐登柏格（Claes Oldenburg）一起聯展。她的作品並不斷於世界各地展出，獲全世界90餘所美術館典藏。曾獲頒美國頒發終生成就獎、法國文化部頒發法國藝術及文學騎士勳章、日本國內頒授的各種獎項。
起初在美國的生活相當艱苦，但她還是著魔般，天還沒亮就起床，一路畫到半夜，她的大畫布上蔓延了數以千計的圓點。「只要開始在畫布上面畫點點，接下來就會從桌子延伸到地板，最後一路畫到自己的身上。」草間彌生曾在自傳中寫道：「我用天文數字的斑點，編織出一張蒼白虛無的網…消融自我、他者和宇宙的一切。」
圓點不只充斥在畫布上，還蔓延到整個房間、人體甚至動植物表面。她在歐美發起的人體彩繪行動藝術，也是在人體彩繪圓點，此外，最著名當屬她的南瓜系列。 南瓜是她喜愛創作主題，她讓南瓜表面爬滿大大小小黑點。「小時候在家裡植物採種場玩，摘下來的南瓜會跟我說話。」她說，「南瓜外型實在太可愛了…吸引我的是它脂粉未施的大肚子，還有強大的精神安定感。」 1951年 / 作品《徬徨的夢》獲得日本第二屆創作獎入選 1955年 / 與美國女畫家歐姬芙通信，並開始準備前往美國。 1957年 / 前往美國，大部分時間在紐約創作，發表巨大的平面作品、軟雕塑、以及結合鏡子和燈具的環境雕塑作品。有「前衛女王」的稱號。 1960年 / 後半開始舉辦人體彩繪、時尚走秀，參加反戰活動。並嚐試運用媒體的表現方式，譬如製作電影、發行報紙等等。 1962年 / 在紐約的綠藝廊參加七人聯展，同時參展的其他藝術家包括安迪．沃荷與歐登柏格。 1966年 / 受邀參加第33屆威尼斯雙年展。 1973年 / 返回日本。一邊持續創作發表藝術作品，並且發表許多小說與詩集。 1993年 / 代表日本參加第45屆威尼斯雙年展。 1998年 / 加台北雙年展。 2000年 / 榮獲第50屆藝術選獎文部大臣獎、外務大臣獎。同年個展在巴黎、丹麥、維也納、首爾巡迴。參加雪梨雙年展。 2001年 / 榮獲日本朝日賞，參加橫濱三年展。 2003年 / 獲頒法國文化部之法國藝術及文學騎士勳章，並於德國、波蘭舉辦個展。參加法國里爾藝術聯展以及里昂雙年展。 2004年 / 獲頒信濃每日新聞社文化基金會之信每獎。參加惠特尼雙年展（紐約）。東京國立現代美術館個展。 2005年 / 京都國立現代美術館、奧斯陸國立美術館個展。參加第三屆瓦倫西亞雙年展（西班牙）。草間大樓落成。 2006年 / 榮獲終生成就獎（美國）、旭日小綬獎。參加大地藝術祭（新瀉）、新加坡雙年展。 2007年 / 提供作品參加波隆那策展中心。並於慕尼黑、雪梨、紐約香港、倫敦、靜岡縣立美術館等地舉辦個展。 作品獲全世界90餘所美術館典藏。 Yayoi Kusama born in 1929, Japan. She started to paint using polka dots and nets as motifs around age ten ,and created fantastic paintings in watercolors, pastels and oils.
She went to the United States in 1957. Showed large paintings, soft sculptures, and environmental sculptures using mirrors and electric lights. In the latter 1960s, staged many happenings such as body painting festivals, fashion shows and anti-war demonstrations. Launched media-related activities such as film production and newspaper publication. In 1968, the film “Kusama’s Self-Obliteration”which Kusama produced and starred in won a prize at the Fourth International Experimental Film Competition in Belgium and the Second Maryland Film Festival and the second prize at the Ann Arbor Film Festival. Held exhibitions and staged happenings also in various countries in Europe.
Returned to Japan in 1973. While continuing to produce and show art works, Kusama issued a number of novels and anthologies. In 1983, the novel “The Hustlers Grotto of Christopher Street” won the Tenth Literary Award for New Writers from the monthly magazine Yasei Jidai.
In 1986, held solo exhibitions at the Musee Municipal, Dole and the Musee des Beaux-Arts de Calais, France, in 1989, solo exhibitions at the Center for International Contemporary Arts, New York and the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, England. In 1993, participated in the 45th Venice Biennale.
Began to create open-air sculptures in 1994. Produced open-air pieces for the Fukuoka Kenko Center, the Fukuoka Municipal Museum of Art, the Bunka-mura on Benesse Island of Naoshima, Kirishima Open-Air Museum and Matsumoto City Museum of Art, , in front of Matsudai Station, Niigata,TGV's Lille-Europe Station in France, Beverly Gardens Park, Beverly hills, Pyeonghwa Park, Anyang and a mural for the hallway at subway station in Lisbon.
Began to show works mainly at galleries in New York in 1996. A solo show held in New York in the same year won the Best Gallery Show in 1995/96 and the Best Gallery Show in 1996/97 from the International Association of Art Critics in 1996.
From1998 to 1999, a major retrospective of Kusama’s works which opened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art traveled to the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Walker Art Center and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo.
In 2000, Kusama won The Education Minister’s Art Encouragement Prize and Foreign-Minister’s Commendations. Her solo exhibition that started at Le Consortium in France in the same year traveled to Maison de la culture du Japon, Paris, KUNSTHALLEN BRANDTS ÆDEFABRIK, Denmark, Les Abattoirs, Toulouse, KUNSTHALLE Wien, Art Sonje Center, Seoul.
Received the Asahi Prize in 2001, the Medal with Dark Navy Blue Ribbon in 2002, the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Officier), and the Nagano Governor Prize (for the contribution in encouragement of art and culture) in 2003
In 2004, Her solo exhibition “KUSAMATRIX” started at Mori Museum in Tokyo. This exhibition drew visitors totaling 520,000 people. In the same year,another solo exhibition started at The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo In 2005, it traveled to The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto, Matsumoto City Museum of Art.
Received the 2006 National Lifetime Achievement Awards, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Losette and The Praemium Imperiale -Painting- in 2006.
In 2008, Documentary film, (near equal) series, the fifth. [ Yayoi Kusama, I adore myself.] was released.
