Japan's "polka dot queen" Yayoi Kusama dies aged 97

Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama, known as the "polka dot queen", has died aged 97, a statement from her company said Thursday.

"It is with profound sorrow that the passing of Yayoi Kusama at a hospital in Tokyo on August 14, 2026, at the age of 97," the statement said.  Born in 1929, the youngest daughter of a wealthy family began producing her signature dot and net patterns aged 10. Instantly recognisable in her bright red wig and bold spotted outfits, her exuberant work was the expression of a long battle with mental illness.