Yayoi Kusama Part 1

Intro 1/2

Yayoi Kusama born in Japan 1929 was a creator of many famous installation artworks and was recently dedicated an exhibition in the NGV.

Intro 2/2

One that caught my eye upon visiting was the “Orgy Dress” which was part of a collection called “Holy war against the establishment.” 

Background 1/7

As a child, Kusama was often misunderstood and even abused by her parents due to her pursuit of becoming an artist.

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She was stubborn however and this willfulness against the system shaped a part of her personality.

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She was also frequently asked by her mother to spy on her father who was suspected to be disloyal at the time and she witnessed first hand his infidelity.

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This provoked a lifelong aversion to sex and sexual intimacy.

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Following this, the outbreak of the Vietnam War began in 1955 and ended two decades later.

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She felt a strong connection to the war as she had to work twelve hours a day at a parachute factory when she was a little girl and simply hated the idea of people going against each other.

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During this period, Kusama partook in performance activism to advocate for peace.