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when Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama
when
Japanese
artist
Yayoi
Kusama
first moved to New York City
first
moved
to
New
York
City
she stood at the top of the Empire State
she
stood
at
the
top
of
the
Empire
State
building and made a promise to herself
building
and
made
a
promise
to
herself
she would become world famous
she
would
become
world
famous
for her paintings her sculptures
for
her
paintings
her
sculptures
and her extraordinary creative energy
and
her
extraordinary
creative
energy
she was thousands of miles away from
she
was
thousands
of
miles
away
from
home
home
and she finally felt free
and
she
finally
felt
free
Yayoi was born in Matsumoto
Yayoi
was
born
in
Matsumoto
a city in Japan surrounded by mountains
a
city
in
Japan
surrounded
by
mountains
and nature
and
nature
her parents owned a seed nursery which
her
parents
owned
a
seed
nursery
which
grew flowers to sell across the country
grew
flowers
to
sell
across
the
country
yayoi would sit in the flower beds with
yayoi
would
sit
in
the
flower
beds
with
her sketchbook and get lost in her
her
sketchbook
and
get
lost
in
her
imagination
imagination
she knew even when she was very young
she
knew
even
when
she
was
very
young
that she wanted to be an artist
that
she
wanted
to
be
an
artist
but her parents were against the idea at
but
her
parents
were
against
the
idea
at
the time
the
time
most artists in Japan were men
most
artists
in
Japan
were
men
Yayoi's mom wanted Yayoi to become a
Yayoi's
mom
wanted
Yayoi
to
become
a
housewife
housewife
they got into terrible fights
they
got
into
terrible
fights
but yayoi was rebellious and unstoppable
but
yayoi
was
rebellious
and
unstoppable
when her mom snatched away her canvases
when
her
mom
snatched
away
her
canvases
she used old sacks instead
she
used
old
sacks
instead
one day
one
day
Yayoi was sitting in the flower beds
Yayoi
was
sitting
in
the
flower
beds
when all the flowers seemed to come to
when
all
the
flowers
seemed
to
come
to
life
life
their heads were like dots that went on
their
heads
were
like
dots
that
went
on
as far as she could see
as
far
as
she
could
see
she felt as if she was being obliterated
she
felt
as
if
she
was
being
obliterated
or breaking into little pieces and
or
breaking
into
little
pieces
and
disappearing
disappearing
into a field of endless dots
into
a
field
of
endless
dots
After Yayoi got home
After
Yayoi
got
home
she sketched lots and lots of the
she
sketched
lots
and
lots
of
the
never-ending fields of flowers and what
never-ending
fields
of
flowers
and
what
she'd seen in the field
she'd
seen
in
the
field
drawing helped her to feel calmer and
drawing
helped
her
to
feel
calmer
and
more in control
more
in
control
she could break herself into dots or
she
could
break
herself
into
dots
or
self-obliterate
self-obliterate
and become one with her surroundings
and
become
one
with
her
surroundings
she also used dots to connect with other
she
also
used
dots
to
connect
with
other
people like in this drawing of her mum
people
like
in
this
drawing
of
her
mum
a few years later
a
few
years
later
Yayoi saw the work of a famous and much
Yayoi
saw
the
work
of
a
famous
and
much
older artist called Georgia O'Keeffe
older
artist
called
Georgia
O'Keeffe
who lived across the world in America
who
lived
across
the
world
in
America
she decided to send Georgia a letter and
she
decided
to
send
Georgia
a
letter
and
some watercolor painting she'd made
some
watercolor
painting
she'd
made
To her surprise
To
her
surprise
Georgia replied and even said she showed
Georgia
replied
and
even
said
she
showed
the watercolors to her art dealer
the
watercolors
to
her
art
dealer
the letter was the start of a new
the
letter
was
the
start
of
a
new
adventure
adventure
Yayoi would later write
Yayoi
would
later
write
if georgia had not answered my letter
if
georgia
had
not
answered
my
letter
i'm not sure i would ever have made it
i'm
not
sure
i
would
ever
have
made
it
to america
to
america
it was because of her that i was able to
it
was
because
of
her
that
i
was
able
to
go to the usa and begin my artist's
go
to
the
usa
and
begin
my
artist's
career in earnest
career
in
earnest
When Yayoi was 27 years old she packed 2
When
Yayoi
was
27
years
old
she
packed
2
000 drawings into her suitcase and got
000
drawings
into
her
suitcase
and
got
on a plane
on
a
plane
away from her parents, she could paint
away
from
her
parents
she
could
paint
from morning to night
from
morning
to
night
She worked on giant canvases and became
She
worked
on
giant
canvases
and
became
known for putting dots on walls, on
known
for
putting
dots
on
walls
on
clothes, on people
clothes
on
people
even on a horse
even
on
a
horse
Yayoi found lots of fans who wanted her
Yayoi
found
lots
of
fans
who
wanted
her
to paint dots on their bodies so they
to
paint
dots
on
their
bodies
so
they
could become a part of her artworks
could
become
a
part
of
her
artworks
She finally met Georgia O'Keeffe in
She
finally
met
Georgia
O'Keeffe
in
person and made friends with other
person
and
made
friends
with
other
famous American artists including Andy
famous
American
artists
including
Andy
Warhol, Joseph Cornell, and Donald Judd
Warhol
Joseph
Cornell
and
Donald
Judd
but like in Japan
but
like
in
Japan
most of the artists in New York were men
most
of
the
artists
in
New
York
were
men
Yayoi had to work extra hard to stand
Yayoi
had
to
work
extra
hard
to
stand
out
out
and sometimes this would leave her
and
sometimes
this
would
leave
her
feeling exhausted and anxious
feeling
exhausted
and
anxious
But making art was a safe space for her
But
making
art
was
a
safe
space
for
her
where she could feel at peace
where
she
could
feel
at
peace
Now in her nineties
Now
in
her
nineties
Yayoi is famous around the world for her
Yayoi
is
famous
around
the
world
for
her
work
work
Just like she promised herself that day
Just
like
she
promised
herself
that
day
at the Empire State Building
at
the
Empire
State
Building
She sees herself as a single dot
She
sees
herself
as
a
single
dot
And everyone in the world is a dot
And
everyone
in
the
world
is
a
dot
connected to another dot.
connected
to
another
dot
Our Earth is like one little polka dot
Our
Earth
is
like
one
little
polka
dot
among millions of other celestial bodies.
among
millions
of
other
celestial
bodies
She once wrote,
She
once
wrote
Let's forget ourselves and become one
Let's
forget
ourselves
and
become
one
with the universe.
with
the
universe
When do you feel most connected with the
When
do
you
feel
most
connected
with
the
world?
world
And what would that look like in a
And
what
would
that
look
like
in
a
drawing?
drawing
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