Born in 1929 in Matsumoto, Japan, and coming of age during the dev- astation of World War II, Yayoi Kusama began her formal training in traditional Japanese-style painting (nihonga) at the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and Crafts in 1948. Feeling constrained by the conser- vatism of mainstream art in Japan, she departed for New York City in 1957, where she became amongst the foremost innovators of her generation. Often associated by critics with both Pop and Minimalist currents in the 1960s, she broke down boundaries between traditional studio practices, performance, and installation art through her radi- cal command of space and her direct engagement with her audiences. Kusama returned to Japan in 1973. While choosing to live in seclusion, Kusama maintains her studio in Tokyo, where she continues to write and make art.

Recently named one of TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People,” Kusama has worked in an expansive array of media since the 1950s, including painting, drawing, sculpture, film, performance art, and design. Her infinity rooms—environments lined with mirrors that confound viewers’ perception of spatial limits—are among her most beloved works, and are the focus of the exhibition, Kusama: At the End of the Universe. Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity, is an intimate space illuminated by an array of golden lights that ignite and then fade into darkness. Viewers enter and stand in the center of the room, find- ing themselves enveloped by a seemingly infinite horizon and then confronted by an equally infinite void. This newly acquired piece by the MFAH, reflects the artist’s fascination with the intangible, while Love Is Calling emonstrates Kusama’s engagement with our physical

environment. Love Is Calling greets viewers who pass through the room with glowing, tentacle-like forms that shoot up from the floor and hang down from the ceiling, covered in the artist’s signature polka dots, these soft sculptures constantly change color. Further amplifying the experience is a sound recording of Kusama’s voice as she recites a love poem in Japanese, which echoes through the installation. The exhibition is also supplemented by one of Kusama’s monumental yel- low and black polka-dotted fiberglass pumpkins, which will welcome visitors at the entrance to the gallery.

“We’re especially thrilled to welcome Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity to its permanent home so swiftly following its acquisition this spring,” said MFAH director Gary Tinterow. “This exhibition will offer visitors to the Museum this summer a chance to experience its magic for the first time, in contemplative counterpoint to the exuber- ance of Kusama’s Love Is Calling.”

– Louis Liu