Yayoi Kusama: Cosmic Nature Exhibition at New York Botanical Garden
via The New York Botanical Garden
Experience Yayoi Kusama’s profound connection with nature every Saturday between 10am – 9pm.
As the story goes, Yayoi Kusama spent her formative years among the greenhouses and fields of her family’s nursery in the mountainous city of Matsumoto, Japan. The artist’s latest show, “Kusama: Cosmic Nature” exclusively at the New York Botanical Garden, explores her deeply rooted relationship with flora, fauna, and the natural world. Displayed across 50 acres of lush grounds, Kusama’s otherworldly, plant-inspired sculptures transport visitors into what might look like the artist’s childhood fantasy realm. Her artistic concepts of obliteration, infinity, and eternity are inspired by her intimate engagement with the colors, patterns, and life cycles of plants and flowers.
Contemporary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is one of the most popular artists in the world, drawing millions to experience her immersive installations. Her earliest sketches capture the bright blooms in the hot houses of her family’s nursery. In recent decades, her work has included mesmerizing installations, large-scale public sculptures of tulips and pumpkins, and prolific series of paintings referencing natural forms. Strong connections exist between this current work and the drawings and paintings of plants and landscapes the artist completed beginning in her teens.
Living in New York City from 1958 to 1973, Yayoi Kusama participated in avant-garde circles while honing her signature dot and net painting motifs. She also started developing soft sculptures, creating installation-based works, and staging spontaneous performance art. Following her return to Japan, her work became increasingly personal, while also engaging with universal themes of life and death and the interconnectedness of living things.
This exhibit runs through October 31st. Timed tickets are required for entry and are only $15 for New York residents. You can book your tickets in advance here.
Check out our other events here!
