Yayoi Kusama at NGV International

Yayoi Kusama needs little introduction. Instantly recognisable by her distinct use of pattern, colour and symbols, the artist has been influential in several major art movements throughout her 75-year career – from minimalism and pop art to performance and feminist art. Widely considered one of the world’s most important living artists, her work is at once intensely personal and relatable.

Opening at the NGV International on December 15, Yayoi Kusama is the largest ever exhibition of Kusama’s work in Australia. Curated by the NGV especially for Australian audiences, it’s also one of the most comprehensive Kusama retrospectives ever seen, with over 200 works on display. From painting, sculpture and collage to fashion, video and installation, the exhibition reveals the impressive breadth of the artist’s multidisciplinary practice.

The mammoth exhibition takes over the entire ground floor of NGV International, and extends into the NGV’s public spaces and the surrounding Melbourne Arts Precinct, including the iconic Waterwall, Great Hall and Federation Court. Expect to experience a range of Kusama’s large-scale, immersive installations, including her infinity rooms – a new, kaleidoscopic iteration has been made especially for Melbourne.

The exhibition will also host the Australian debuts of Dancing Pumpkin, an enormous five-metre-tall bronze sculpture, and The Hope of the Polka Dots Buried in Infinity Will Eternally Cover the Universe, a six-metre-high tentacular form covered in yellow and black polka dots that visitors can walk through and be surrounded by.

The Obliteration Room will also take over the NGV’s dedicated children’s gallery, inviting kids and the young-at-heart to stick multi-coloured polka dots over an otherwise pristine white surface.

Yayoi Kusama runs from December 15, 2024 to April 21, 2025. Tickets are on sale now at ngv.vic.gov.au.

Broadsheet is a proud media partner of the National Gallery of Victoria.