Yayoi Kusama
Earth is a Polka Dot

Interview with Japan’s legendary artist, who painted polka dots ever since she started as an artist. In this video she talks about one of her works, a light installation depicting her cosmic vision.

Yayoi Kusama (1929-2026) was a legendary Japanese artist. In this video, she talks about her life, how her parents were against her becoming an artist, and how she decided to go to New York to compete with the best artists. She also describes her working process and how she is always surprised by the result.

Yayoi Kusama was interviewed by Christian Lund in London in February 2012.

Camera: Matthias Pilz
Kusama’s installation filmed by: Martin Kogi
Translation: Nami Yamamoto
Produced by: Martin Kogi and Christian Lund
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

Supported by Nordea-fonden

Tags

Other videos in this series: Artists on One Work

Added to playlist
FISCHLI_Peter_Snowman_3edit.00_03_34_23.Still008

“Every child can do that!”

Peter Fischli
On Snowman

Added to playlist
04:56 JANSSENS_Ann-Veronica_Fluid-to-Solid_1400

“The sides are burnished, giving a different light and creating yet another play on colours and sensations with this material.”

Ann Veronica Janssens
Fluid to Solid

Added to playlist
03:09 1400×788

“It’s about feeling alive.”

Elmgreen & Dragset
Short Story

Added to playlist
05:38 JANSSENS_Ann-Veronica_To-Walk-Into-a-Painting_1400

“We’re blinded in light and colour.”

Ann Veronica Janssens
To Walk Into a Painting

Added to playlist
03:46 GOLDSMITH_Kenneth_Please-Do-Not-Touch_1200x675_NYT SITE

“The piece is almost a Monet of geometry.”

Kenneth Goldsmith
Please Do Not Touch

Added to playlist
6:25 ULAY_How-I-Stole-a-Painting_Sammensat_1200x675_NYT-SITE

“Madman in Berlin stole the world famous Spitzweg painting.”

Ulay
How I Stole a Painting

Added to playlist
13:04 SATTOUF_Riad_On-‘The-Arab-of-the-Future’_1200x675_NYT-SITE_UDEN-RAMME

“I didn’t want to be the guy with an Arabic name, who immediately makes a book on his Arabic origin.”

Riad Sattouf
On ‘The Arab of the Future’

Added to playlist
05:53 ROTTENBERG_Mika_What-is-the-Connection_1200x675_NYT-SITE

“Art is always political in a way, and not, at the same time. I think maybe it’s free from making clear statements."

Mika Rottenberg
What is the Connection

Added to playlist
04:20 ABRAMOVIC_Marina_and-Ulay_A-Door-of-the-Museum_1200x675_NYT-SITE

“If there were no artists, there would be no museums, so we are living doors.”

Marina Abramović & Ulay
A Living Door of the Museum

Added to playlist
25:13 KENTRIDGE_William_800x450_2

"Can we change the world on our way or is this all illusory?”

William Kentridge
On ‘The Refusal of Time’

Added to playlist
07:04 ‘Mama-Africa’-is-a-Construct_NYT-SITE

Nástio Mosquito
‘Mama Africa’ is a Construct

Added to playlist
19:15 LAND_Peter_Self-Portrait-as-a-Homeless_1200x675_NYT-SITE

“Any kind of interesting work of art is not unambiguous.”

Peter Land
Self-Portrait as a Homeless

Related videos

Added to playlist
01:42 kusama_yayoi_advice_to_the_young_940

Yayoi Kusama
Advice to the Young

Added to playlist
06:24 kusama_yayoi_lets_fight_together_940

Yayoi Kusama
Let’s Fight Together

Added to playlist
11:56 6artists-1

6 Artists
On Decisive Moments

Featured series

A Closer Look at Danish Writers

A series of extensive portraits

Series / 26 videos

Advice to the Young

Advice from one generation of artists to the next

Series / 106 videos

Ann Veronica Janssens

The Art of Physics

Series / 8 videos

Artists on One Work

Works of art explored by acclaimed artists

Series / 37 videos

Banned Voices

18 authors whose books have been banned or challenged

Series / 37 videos

Becoming Paul McCarthy

On the influential and groundbreaking contemporary American artist

Series / 3 videos

Facing the Blank Page

Writers talk about the horror of the blank page

Series / 18 videos

Get Inspired With

A series that draws close attention to the inspiration process

Series / 4 videos

Most watched

Top ten most-watched interviews from the Louisiana Channel

Series / 11 videos

My Last Picture

Artists reflect upon their last or final work.

Series / 3 videos

Nobel Laureates

The writers who changed literature, in their own words.

Series / 14 videos

On Jørn Utzon

Architects on Danish architect Jørn Utzon

Series / 11 videos

On Marsden Hartley

Artists on American painter Marsden Hartley

Series / 5 videos

On Outer Space

Artists on Outer Space

Series / 12 videos

On Sonia Delaunay

4 perspectives on one of the great artists of the 20th century

Series / 4 videos

Poetry as a Performance

Poets on performing poetry

Series / 6 videos

Seen & Selected by Ellie Stathaki

The Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper* Magazine shares her favourite architect portraits from our archive

Series / 8 videos

Seen & Selected by Jerry Saltz

The Senior Art Critic, 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism, and author of the New York Times Bestseller 'How To Be an Artist' shares his favorite 'Advice to the Young'

Series / 12 videos

Seen & Selected by Katy Hessel

The author & founder of The Great Women Artists podcast shares her favourite portraits of female artists from our archive

Series / 12 videos

Writers on Art

Artworks interpreted by acclaimed writers

Series / 8 videos

Editors' picks

Added to playlist
52:52 Emin Tracey_I Am Doing What I Think Is Right_Cover_3 (1)

“Art can change the world.”

Tracey Emin
I Am Doing What I Think is Right

Added to playlist
01:45 CRAIG_MARTIN_Michael_Advice_To_the_Young_Cover_1

"The things that are natural to you aren’t natural to anybody else. They are yours."

Michael Craig-Martin
Advice to the Young

Added to playlist
17:29 HOCKNEY_David_Another_View_of_the_World_Cover_1

In dear memory of an extraordinary artist and human being.

David Hockney
Another View of the World

Added to playlist
23:34 WYLIE_Rose_A_Thorn_in_the_Picture_Cover_3

”Contrast gives life. I think a painting needs life.”

Rose Wylie
A Thorn in the Picture

Added to playlist
06:57 CALLE_Sophie_Advice_to_the_Young_Cover_3

“My father always thought it was good, that I learned how to fight and be in problems.”

Sophie Calle
Advice to the Young

Added to playlist
16:25 NUTI_Lulu_I_Recognize_Myself_in_Iron_cover_3

“The material already carries a history.”

Lulù Nuti
I Recognized Myself in Iron

Added to playlist
21:53 DUCROT_Isabella_Near_to_Happiness_Cover_4

"I don’t want to lose time. I want to amuse myself every moment."

Isabella Ducrot
Near to Happiness

Added to playlist
10:52 JAFA_Arthur_Basquiat_Was_on_the_Bleeding_Edge_of_What_Was_Possible_COVER 3

“His intellect was startling.”

Arthur Jafa
Basquiat Was on the Bleeding Edge of What Was Possible

Added to playlist
28:51 HICKS_Sheila_We’re_Crying_For_Softness_Cover_2

“Art is a big word.”

Sheila Hicks
We’re Crying For Softness

Added to playlist
13:07 10 architects_cover 4 JPG

”Architecture is a job for God.”

8 Pritzker Prize Laureates
On Architects and Architecture

Added to playlist
55:53 PIHLMANN_Søren_Make Materials_Matter_long_version_Cover_1

“We embrace what’s already there, and then we look for potential.”

Søren Pihlmann
Make Materials Matter (long version)

Added to playlist
10:53 PEI_Zhu_Build_Rich_But_Simple_Cover_1

“Great architecture is like poetry.”

Zhu Pei
Build Rich But Simple

Copy to clipboard