Happening from 9 June to 3 September 2017, this dazzling exhibition features paintings, sculptures, photographs and installations from the famous Japanese artist
Strike up a conversation with art buffs about the greatest artists of our generation, and it’s impossible for this name not to come up. For seven decades, Yayoi Kusama has become a pop culture icon with her bizarre and kaleidoscopic take on art, spanning mind-boggling works that tread on avant-garde territory. Conceptualising everything from paintings and sculptures to performance art and infinity rooms, the Japanese trailblazer (now 88 years old) is perhaps best known for her signature use of polka dots as patterns and textures. Without a doubt, the works of Yayoi Kusama are ones you need to see in your lifetime – even if you’re not an art addict – and you can now see what all the hype’s about in the next three months.
From 9 June to 3 September at National Gallery Singapore, the legacy of this Japanese artist will be on display with an exhibition called “Yayoi Kusama: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow”, featuring a stacked selection of over 120 works. More than just visual wonders, these globally-revered pieces are also meaningful with stories that reflect Kusama’s philosophy and discipline – an astute (and slightly disturbing) look into the mind of this maverick.
We had a sneak preview before its opening, where we spotted mirror-layered infinity rooms adorned with glowing dots and orbs, entrancing paintings speckled with nets and dots motifs, alien-like phallic sculptures, and even video installations of Kusama singing about suicide (it’s as grim and unsettling as it sounds). But if you prefer seeing what you’re in for with your own eyes, check out a glimpse of the exhibition below.
Yayoi Kusama: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow, 9 June to 3 September, National Gallery Singapore, 1 Saint Andrew’s Road, Singapore 178957. Tickets priced at $15 (standard) and $10 (concession) for Singaporeans, and $25 (standard) and $20 (concession) for non-Singaporeans.
Can’t get enough of Yayoi Kusama? Head to this Yayoi Kusama-inspired afternoon tea at The Fullerton. And if your appetite for art isn’t satiated, check out these museums and art galleries in Singapore.
