Film Forum

Yayoi Kusama is the top-selling female artist in the world, best known for her colorful polka dot- and pumpkin-themed designs and her massively popular mirrored Infinity Rooms. Her work has pushed boundaries that often alienated her from her peers and those in power in the art world. KUSAMA – INFINITY shows the artist overcoming the odds to bring her radical artistic vision to the world stage – growing up in Japan during World War II, life in a dysfunctional family that discouraged her creative ambitions, sexism and racism in the art establishment, and mental illness in a culture where that was a particular stigma. Kusama has created a legacy of artwork that spans the disciplines of painting, sculpture, installation art, performance art, poetry, and novels. After six decades of work, people around the world are experiencing her Infinity Rooms in record numbers, and Kusama continues to create work every day.

Presented with support from the Helen Frankenthaler Endowed Fund for Films on Art and the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation Fund

76 min. • USA • 2018 • Magnolia Pictures

Reviews

“An inspiring portrait of the legendary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. A satisfyingly thorough look at the life and work of this influential artist, tracing the inspirations, obsessions, passion, and psychological trauma that informs every aspect of her art. Kusama’s survival and irrepressible creative energy is an inspiring example for us all, especially for women, and women of color in particular, who still must struggle for recognition in a world that often seems determined to stack the decks against them.”
– Christopher Bourne, Screen Anarchy

“Fascinating and inspiring. A genuinely felt portrait of the artist as a dedicated survivor, ever in service to her vision of the world and fighting for her place in it.”
– Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times

“Unspools like an intimate conversation. The takeaway is a deeply human understanding of the untidy inner life of one of international culture’s biggest stars.”
– Shana Nys Dambrot, L.A. Weekly

“Makes a convincing case that the art world and the general public are still catching up with the influence of Yayoi Kusama, the painter, sculptor and performance artist perhaps most widely known for her mirrored “Infinity” rooms… Provides ample, illuminating access to an artist’s way of thinking and working.”
– Ben Kenigsberg, The New York Times

“An entertaining account of one of modern art’s most unlikely success stories. KUSAMA - INFINITY presents a creative life that is worth exploring, even by those who’ve been scared away by the crowds.” 
– John DeFore, The Hollywood Reporter​