India, Aug. 27 -- Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama, known worldwide as the "polka dot queen" for her hypnotic patterns and immersive installations, has died at the age of 97. Her studio announced that Kusama died at a Tokyo hospital on August 14, 2026.

The statement read, "Throughout an extraordinary lifetime devoted entirely to artistic creation, Kusama pursued an internationally acclaimed career as a pioneering avant garde artist whose creative practice encompassed visual art, performance, fiction, and poetry. She continued to paint until her final days, never setting aside her brush, and continued exploration of forever love and eternal soul."

Kusama was born in Matsumoto, Japan, in 1929. She became a pioneering figure in mod...