Japanese polka dot artist Yayoi Kusama dies aged 97

Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama, renowned for her colorful polka dot sculptures, infinity mirror installations, and pumpkin-themed works, has died at age 97 in Tokyo on August 14. After decades of being overlooked by the art world, Kusama became a global cultural icon in her 80s and 90s, with her exhibitions drawing massive crowds worldwide and her works commanding some of the highest prices for a female artist. She spent the latter decades of her life in a psychiatric hospital while continuing to create art until her final days.