Japanese classical painting has a long and interesting story. The visual arts of Japan are represented in different styles and genres, each of which is unique in its own way. Ancient painted figurines and geometric motifs found on dotaku bronze bells and pottery shards date back to 300 AD.
Buddhist orientation of art
In Japan, the art of wall painting was quite well developed; in the 6th century, images on the theme of the philosophy of Buddhism were especially popular. At that time, large temples were being built in the country, and their walls were everywhere decorated with frescoes painted according to the plots of Buddhist myths and legends. Until now, ancient samples of wall paintings have been preserved in the temple of Horyuji near the Japanese city of Nara. Horyuji's frescoes depict scenes from the life of the Buddha and other gods. The artistic style of these frescoes is very close to the pictorial concept popular in China during the Song Dynasty.
The picturesque style of the Tang Dynasty gained particular popularity in the middle of the Nara period. The frescoes found in the tomb of Takamatsuzuka belong to this period and are dated to around the 7th century AD. The artistic technique, which was formed under the influence of the Tang Dynasty, subsequently formed the basis of the kara-e painting genre. This genre retained its popularity until the appearance of the first works in the yamato-e style. Most of the frescoes and pictorial masterpieces are by unknown artists, today many of the works of that period are kept in the Sesoin treasury.
The growing influence of new Buddhist schools, such as the Tendai, influenced a broad religious orientation. visual arts Japan in the 8th and 9th centuries. In the 10th century, during which Japanese Buddhism developed especially, the genre of raigozu, "welcome paintings", depicting the arrival of the Buddha in the Western Paradise, appeared. Early examples raigozu dating back to 1053 can be seen at the Bedo-in Temple, which is preserved in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture.
Changing styles
In the middle of the Heian period, the Chinese kara-e style was replaced by the yamato-e genre, which for a long time became one of the most popular and sought-after genres of Japanese painting. The new pictorial style was mainly applied to folding screens and sliding doors. Over time, yamato-e moved to the horizontal scrolls of emakimono. Artists who worked in the emaki genre tried to convey in their works all the emotionality of the chosen plot. The Genji monogatari scroll consisted of several episodes connected together, the artists of the time used quick strokes and bright, expressive colors.
E-maki is one of the oldest and most prominent examples of otoko-e, a painting genre. male portraits. Female portraits are singled out as a separate genre of onna-e. Between these genres, in fact, as well as between men and women, there are quite significant differences. The onna-e style is colorfully represented in the design of the Tale of Genji, where the main themes of the drawings are romantic plots, scenes from court life. Men's style otoko-e is predominantly artistic image historical battles and other important events in the life of the empire.
The classical Japanese art school has become fertile ground for the development and promotion of ideas. contemporary art Japan, which clearly shows the influence of pop culture and anime. One of the most famous Japanese artists of our time is Takashi Murakami, whose work is dedicated to depicting scenes from Japanese life in the post-war period and the concept of the maximum fusion of fine art and the mainstream.
Of the famous Japanese artists of the classical school, the following can be mentioned.
Tense Shubun
Shubun worked at the beginning of the 15th century, having devoted a lot of time to studying the works of Chinese masters of the Song Dynasty era, this man stood at the origins of the Japanese pictorial genre. Shubun is considered the founder of sumi-e, monochrome ink painting. He made a lot of efforts to popularize the new genre, turning it into one of the leading trends in Japanese painting. Shubun's students were many artists who later became famous, including Sesshu and the founder of the famous art school Kano Masanobu. Many landscapes have been attributed to Shubun, but his most famous work is traditionally considered Reading in a Bamboo Grove.
Ogata Korin (1658-1716)
Ogata Korin is one of the largest artists in the history of Japanese painting, the founder and one of the brightest representatives artistic style rimpa. Korin boldly departed from traditional stereotypes in his works, having formed his own own style, whose main characteristics were small forms and vivid impressionism of the plot. Korin is known for his particular skill in depicting nature and working with abstract color compositions. "Plum blossom red and white" is one of the most famous works Ogata Korina, his paintings "Chrysanthemums", "Waves of Matsushima" and a number of others are also known.
Hasegawa Tohaku (1539-1610)
Tohaku is the founder of the Japanese art school Hasegawa. For early period Tohaku's work is characterized by the influence of the famous school of Japanese painting 
Kano, but over time the artist formed his own unique style. In many ways, Tohaku's work was influenced by the work of the recognized master Sesshu, Hosegawa even considered himself the fifth successor of this great master. Hasegawa Tohaku's painting "Pines" received world fame, his works “Maple”, “Pines and flowering plants” and others are also known.
Kano Eitoku (1543-1590)
The Kanō school style dominated the fine arts of Japan for about four centuries, and Kanō Eitoku is perhaps one of the most famous and prominent representatives this art school. Eitoku was favored by the authorities, the patronage of aristocrats and wealthy patrons could not but contribute to the strengthening of his school and the popularity of this work, no doubt, very talented artist. Eitoku Kano's 'Cypress' eight-panel sliding screen is a true masterpiece and a prime example of the scope and power of the Monoyama style. No less interesting are other works of the master, such as "Birds and Trees of the Four Seasons", "Chinese Lions", "Hermits and a Fairy" and many others.
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849)
Hokusai - greatest master ukiyo-e (Japanese woodcut). The work of Hokusai received world recognition, his fame in other countries is not comparable with the popularity of most Asian artists, his work " A big wave in Kanagawa" has become something of a hallmark of Japanese fine art on the world art scene. On my own creative way Hokusai used more than thirty pseudonyms, after sixty the artist devoted himself entirely to art, and it is this time that is considered the most fruitful period of his work. Hokusai's work influenced the work of Western Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masters, including the work of Renoir, Monet and van Gogh.
Japanese painting is an absolutely unique direction in world art. It has existed since ancient times, but as a tradition it has not lost its popularity and ability to surprise.
Attention to traditions
The East is not only landscapes, mountains and the rising sun. These are also the people who created its history. It is these people who have maintained the tradition of Japanese painting for many centuries, developing and multiplying their art. Those who made a significant contribution to the history of Japanese artists. It is thanks to them that modern ones have retained all the canons of traditional Japanese painting.
Painting style
Unlike Europe, Japanese artists preferred to paint closer to graphics than to painting. In such paintings you will not find rough, careless strokes of oil, which are so characteristic of the Impressionists. What is the graphic nature of such art as Japanese trees, rocks, animals and birds - everything in these pictures is drawn as clearly as possible, with firm and confident ink lines. All objects in the composition must have an outline. Filling inside the contour is usually done in watercolor. The color is washed out, other shades are added, and somewhere the color of the paper is left. Decorativeness is exactly what distinguishes Japanese paintings from the art of the whole world.
Contrasts in painting
Contrast is another characteristic technique used by Japanese artists. This may be a difference in tone, color, or a contrast of warm and cold shades.
The artist resorts to a technique when he wants to highlight some element of the subject. It can be a vein on a plant, a single petal or a tree trunk against the sky. Then the light, illuminated part of the object and the shadow under it are depicted (or vice versa).
Transitions and colors
When drawing Japanese paintings, transitions are often used. They are different: for example, from one color to another. On the petals of water lilies, peonies, you can notice the transition from a light shade to a rich, bright one of some color.
Also, transitions are used in the image of the water surface, the sky. The smooth transition from sunset to dark, deepening twilight looks very beautiful. In drawing clouds, transitions from different shades and reflections are also used.
The main motives of Japanese painting
In art, everything is interconnected with real life, with the feelings and emotions of those who are involved in it. As in literature, music and other manifestations of creativity, there are several eternal themes in painting. This historical plots, images of people and nature.
Japanese landscapes are varied. Often in the paintings there are images of ponds - a favorite subject of the interior of the Japanese. Decorative pond, several water lilies and bamboo nearby - this is what it looks like ordinary picture 17-18 centuries.
Animals in Japanese painting
Animals are also a recurring element in Asian painting. Traditionally, it is a crouching tiger or a domestic cat. In general, Asians are very fond of and therefore their representatives are found in all forms of oriental art.
The world of fauna is another theme followed by Japanese painting. Birds - cranes, decorative parrots, luxurious peacocks, swallows, inconspicuous sparrows and even roosters - all of them are found in the drawings of oriental masters.
Fish - no less actual topic for Japanese artists. Koi are the Japanese version of the goldfish. These creatures live in Asia in all ponds, even small parks and gardens. Koi carp is a kind of tradition that belongs specifically to Japan. These fish symbolize struggle, determination, achieving one's goal. No wonder they are depicted as floating with the flow, always with decorative wave crests.
Japanese paintings: depiction of people
People in Japanese painting are a special theme. The artists depicted geishas, emperors, warriors and elders.
Geisha are depicted surrounded by flowers, always wearing elaborate robes with many folds and elements.
Wise men are depicted sitting or explaining something to their students. The image of an old scientist is a symbol of the history, culture and philosophy of Asia.
The warrior was portrayed as formidable, sometimes intimidating. The long ones were drawn in detail and looked like a wire.
Usually all the details of the armor are refined with ink. Often, naked warriors are decorated with tattoos depicting an oriental dragon. It is a symbol of strength and military power of Japan.
The rulers were portrayed for the imperial families. Beautiful robes, ornaments in the hair of men - that such works of art abound.
landscapes
Traditional japanese landscape- mountains. Asian painters have succeeded in depicting a variety of landscapes: they can depict the same peak in different colors, with different atmospheres. The only thing that remains unchanged is the mandatory presence of flowers. Usually, along with the mountains, the artist depicts some kind of plant in the foreground and draws it in detail. Mountains and cherry blossoms look beautiful. And if you draw falling petals - the picture is admired by the sad beauty. The contrast in the atmosphere of the painting is another remarkable quality of Japanese culture.
Hieroglyphs
Often the composition of a picture in Japanese painting is combined with letters. Hieroglyphs are arranged so that it looks beautiful compositionally. Usually they are drawn on the left or right of the picture. Hieroglyphs can indicate what is depicted in the picture, its name or the name of the artist.
Japan is one of the richest countries in history and culture. All over the world, it is customary to consider the Japanese as pedantic people who find aesthetics in absolutely all manifestations of life. Therefore, Japanese paintings are always very harmonious in color and tone: if there are inclusions of some bright color- then only in the semantic centers. On the example of paintings by Asian artists, one can study color theory, the correct transfer of form using graphics, and composition. The technique of execution of Japanese paintings is so high that it can serve as an example for working with watercolors and performing "washing" of graphic works.
Has a very rich history; its tradition is extensive, with Japan's unique position in the world largely influencing the dominant styles and techniques of Japanese artists. Known fact That Japan has been quite isolated for centuries is due not only to geography, but also to the dominant Japanese cultural proclivity for isolation that has marked the country's history. During the centuries of existence of what we might call " Japanese civilization”, culture and art developed separately from those in the rest of the world. And this is even noticeable in the practice of Japanese painting. For example, the Nihonga paintings are among the staples of Japanese painting practice. It is based on over a thousand years of tradition, and the paintings are usually created with brushes on your (Japanese paper) or egina (silk).
However, Japanese art and painting have been influenced by foreign artistic practices. First, it was Chinese art in the 16th century and Chinese art And chinese tradition art, which was particularly influential in several aspects. As of the 17th century, Japanese painting was also influenced by Western traditions. In particular, during the pre-war period, which lasted from 1868 to 1945, Japanese painting was influenced by Impressionism and European Romanticism. At the same time, new European art movements were also significantly influenced by Japanese artistic techniques. In art history, this influence is referred to as "Japanism", and it is especially significant for the Impressionists, Cubists, and artists associated with modernism.
Long story Japanese painting can be seen as a synthesis of several traditions that create parts of a recognized Japanese aesthetics. First of all, Buddhist art and painting methods, as well as religious painting, left a significant mark on the aesthetics of Japanese paintings; water-ink painting of landscapes in the tradition of Chinese literary painting is another important element recognized in many famous Japanese paintings; painting of animals and plants, especially birds and flowers, is what is commonly associated with Japanese compositions, as are landscapes and scenes from Everyday life. Finally, ancient ideas about beauty from the philosophy and culture of ancient Japan had a great influence on Japanese painting. Wabi, which means transient and harsh beauty, sabi (beauty of natural patina and aging) and yugen (deep grace and subtlety) still influence the ideals in the practice of Japanese painting.
Finally, if we focus on choosing the ten most famous Japanese masterpieces, we must mention ukiyo-e, which is one of the most popular genres of art in Japan, even though it belongs to printmaking. He dominated in Japanese art from the 17th - 19th century, while artists belonging to this genre created woodcuts and paintings with objects such as beautiful girls, kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers, as well as scenes from history and folk tales, travel scenes and landscapes, flora and fauna and even erotica.
It's always hard to make a list the best pictures from artistic traditions. Many amazing works will be excluded; however, this list features ten of the most recognizable Japanese paintings in the world. This article will present only paintings created from the 19th century to the present day.
Japanese painting has an extremely rich history. Over the centuries, Japanese artists have developed a large number of unique techniques and styles, which are Japan's most valuable contribution to the art world. One of these techniques is sumi-e. Sumi-e literally means "ink drawing", combining calligraphy and ink painting to create a rare beauty of brush-painted compositions. This beauty is paradoxical - ancient yet modern, simple yet complex, bold yet subdued, undoubtedly reflecting the spiritual basis of art in Zen Buddhism. Buddhist priests brought the hard ink block and the bamboo brush to Japan from China in the sixth century, and over the past 14 centuries, Japan has developed a rich heritage of ink painting.
Scroll down and see 10 Japanese Painting Masterpieces
1. Katsushika Hokusai "Dream of the Fisherman's Wife"
One of the most recognizable Japanese paintings is The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife. It was written in 1814 famous artist Hokusai. By strict definitions, this amazing work by Hokusai cannot be considered a painting, as it is an ukiyo-e woodcut from Young Pines (Kinoe no Komatsu), which is a three-volume shunga book. The composition depicts a young ama diver sexually entwined with a pair of octopuses. This image was highly influential in the 19th and 20th centuries. The work influenced more late artists such as Felicien Rops, Auguste Rodin, Louis Ocock, Fernand Khnopf and Pablo Picasso.
2. Tessai Tomioka "Abe no Nakamaro writes a nostalgic poem while watching the moon"
Tessai Tomioka is the pseudonym of a famous Japanese artist and calligrapher. He is considered the last major artist in the bungjing tradition and one of the first major artists Nihonga style. Bunjinga was a school of Japanese painting that flourished during the late Edo period among artists who considered themselves literati or intellectuals. Each of these artists, including Tessaia, developed their own style and technique, but they were all big fans of Chinese art and culture.
3. Fujishima Takeji "Sunrise over the East Sea"
Fujishima Takeji was a Japanese artist known for his work in developing Romanticism and Impressionism in the Yoga (Western style) art movement in late XIX- the beginning of the XX century. In 1905 he traveled to France, where he was influenced by the French movements of the time, in particular Impressionism, as can be seen in his painting "Sunrise over East Sea", which was written in 1932.
4. Kitagawa Utamaro "Ten types of female faces, a collection of dominating beauties"
Kitagawa Utamaro was a prominent Japanese artist who was born in 1753 and died in 1806. He is by far best known for a series called The Ten Types female faces. Collection of ruling beauties, themes Great love Classical Poetry" (sometimes called "Women in Love", containing separate engravings "Naked Love" and "Pensive Love"). He is one of the most significant artists belonging to the ukiyo-e woodcut genre.
5. Kawanabe Kyosai "Tiger"
Kawanabe Kyosai was one of the most famous Japanese artists of the Edo period. His art was influenced by Tohaku, a 16th-century Kano painter who was the only painter of his day to paint screens entirely in ink against a delicate background of powdered gold. Although Kyosai is known as a cartoonist, he produced some of the most famous paintings in Japanese history Art XIX century. "Tiger" is one of those paintings that Kyosai used watercolor and ink to create.
6. Hiroshi Yoshida Fuji from Lake Kawaguchi
Hiroshi Yoshida is known as one of the most big figures shin-hanga style (shin-hanga is artistic movement in Japan at the beginning of the 20th century, during the Taisho and Showa periods, which revived traditional art ukiyo-e, which took root in the Edo and Meiji period (XVII - XIX centuries)). He studied the tradition Western painting oil, which was borrowed from Japan during the Meiji period.
7. Takashi Murakami "727"
Takashi Murakami is probably the most popular Japanese artist of our time. His work sells for astronomical prices at major auctions, and creativity is already inspiring new generations of artists not only in Japan, but also abroad. Murakami's art includes a range of mediums and is usually described as super-flat. His work is known for his use of color, incorporating motifs from Japanese traditional and popular culture. The content of his paintings is often described as "cute", "psychedelic", or "satirical".
8. Yayoi Kusama "Pumpkin"
Yaoi Kusama is also one of the most famous Japanese artists. She creates in various techniques including painting, collage, scat sculpture, performance art, environmental art, and installation, most of which show her thematic interest in psychedelic color, repetition, and pattern. One of the most famous series this great artist is the Pumpkin series. A polka-dotted regular gourd in bright yellow is shown against a net. Together, all such elements form a visual language that is unmistakable to the artist's style, and has been developed and refined over decades of painstaking crafting and reproduction.
9. Tenmyoya Hisashi "Japanese Spirit #14"
Tenmyoya Hisashi is a contemporary Japanese artist who is known for his neo-nihonga paintings. He participated in the revival old tradition Japanese painting, which is the exact opposite of modern Japanese painting. In 2000 he also created his a new style butouha, who demonstrates a firm attitude towards authority art system through his paintings. "Japanese Spirit No. 14" was created as part of artistic scheme"BASARA", interpreted in Japanese culture as the rebellious behavior of the lower aristocracy during the Warring States period, in order to deprive the authorities of the opportunity to seek perfect image life, dressing in pompous and luxurious clothes and acting of free will, which did not correspond to their social class.
10. Katsushika Hokusai "The Great Wave Off Kanagawa"
Finally, The Great Wave off Kanagawa is probably the most recognizable japanese painting ever written. It's really the most famous work art made in Japan. It depicts huge waves threatening boats off the coast of Kanagawa Prefecture. Although sometimes mistaken for a tsunami, the wave, as the name of the picture suggests, most likely simply has an anomalous great height. The painting is made in the ukiyo-e tradition.
From: ,
Art and design
2702
01.02.18 09:02
Today's art scene Japan is very diverse and provocative: considering the work of masters from the Country rising sun You will think that you have landed on another planet! It is home to innovators who have changed the landscape of the industry on a global scale. We present you a list of 10 contemporary Japanese artists and their creations - from incredible creatures Takashi Murakami (who is celebrating his birthday today) to the colorful universe of Kusama.
From futuristic worlds to dotted constellations: contemporary Japanese artists
Takashi Murakami: traditionalist and classic
Let's start with the hero of the occasion! Takashi Murakami is one of Japan's most iconic contemporary artists, working on paintings, large scale sculptures and fashion. Murakami's style is influenced by manga and anime. He is the founder of the Superflat movement, which supports Japanese artistic traditions and the country's post-war culture. Murakami promoted many of his fellow contemporaries, we will also get to know some of them today. "Subcultural" works by Takashi Murakami are presented in the fashion and art art markets. His provocative My Lonesome Cowboy (1998) was sold in New York at Sotheby's in 2008 for a record $15.2 million. Murakami has collaborated with world famous brands Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton and Issey Miyake.
Tycho Asima and her surreal universe
A member of the art production company Kaikai Kiki and the Superflat movement (both founded by Takashi Murakami), Chiho Ashima is known for her fantasy cityscapes and weird pop creatures. The artist creates surrealistic dreams inhabited by demons, ghosts, young beauties depicted against the backdrop of outlandish nature. Her works are usually large-scale and printed on paper, leather, plastic. In 2006, this modern Japanese artist participated in Art on the Underground in London. She created 17 successive arches for the platform - the magical landscape gradually turned from day to night, from urban to rural. This miracle blossomed at the Gloucester Road tube station.
Chiharu Shima and Infinite Threads
Another artist, Chiharu Shiota, is working on large-scale visual installations for specific landmarks. She was born in Osaka, but now lives in Germany - in Berlin. The central themes of her work are oblivion and memory, dreams and reality, past and present, and also the confrontation of anxiety. Chiharu Shiota's most famous works are the impenetrable webs of black thread that envelop many household and personal items such as old chairs, Wedding Dress, burnt piano. In the summer of 2014, Shiota connected more than 300 shoes and boots donated to her with threads of red yarn and hung them on hooks. Chiharu's first exhibition in the German capital was held during the Berlin Art Week in 2016 and caused a sensation.
Hey Arakawa: everywhere, not anywhere
Ei Arakawa is inspired by states of change, periods of instability, elements of risk, and his installations often symbolize the themes of friendship and teamwork. The credo of the contemporary Japanese artist is defined by the performative indefinite "everywhere but nowhere". His creations pop up in unexpected places. In 2013, Arakawa's work was exhibited at the Venice Biennale and in the exhibition of Japanese contemporary art at the Mori Art Museum (Tokyo). The Hawaiian Presence installation (2014) was joint project with New York artist Carissa Rodriguez and participated in the Whitney Biennale. Also in 2014, Arakawa and his brother Tomu, performing as a duet called the United Brothers, offered Frieze London visitors their "work" "The This Soup Taste Ambivalent" with "radioactive" Fukushima daikon roots.
Koki Tanaka: Relationship and Repetition
In 2015, Koki Tanaka was named Artist of the Year. Tanaka explores the shared experience of creativity and imagination, encourages exchange between project participants, and advocates for new rules for collaboration. His installation in the Japanese pavilion at the 2013 Venice Biennale consisted of videos of objects turning the space into a platform for art exchange. Koki Tanaka's installations (not to be confused with his full namesake actor) illustrate the relationship between objects and actions, for example, the video contains a recording of simple gestures performed with ordinary objects (a knife slicing vegetables, beer being poured into a glass, opening an umbrella). Nothing significant happens, but obsessive repetition and attention to the smallest details make the viewer appreciate the mundane.
Mariko Mori and streamlined shapes
Another contemporary Japanese artist, Mariko Mori, "conjures" multimedia objects, combining videos, photos, objects. She has a minimalist futuristic vision and sleek, surreal forms. A recurring theme in Mori's work is the juxtaposition of Western legend with Western culture. In 2010, Mariko founded the Fau Foundation, an educational cultural non-profit organization, for which she produced a series of her art installations in honor of the six inhabited continents. Most recently, the Foundation's permanent installation, The Ring: One with Nature, was hoisted over a picturesque waterfall in Resende near Rio de Janeiro.
Ryoji Ikeda: Sound and Video Synthesis
Ryoji Ikeda is a new media artist and composer whose work is mainly related to sound in different "raw" states, from sinusoidal sounds to noises using frequencies at the edge of human hearing. His breathtaking installations include computer-generated sounds that are visually transformed into video projections or digital templates. Ikeda's audiovisual art objects use scale, light, shadow, volume, electronic sounds and rhythm. The artist's famous test object consists of five projectors that illuminate an area 28 meters long and 8 meters wide. The unit converts data (text, sounds, photos and movies) into a barcode and binary patterns of zeros and ones.
Tatsuo Miyajima and LED counters
Modern Japanese sculptor and montage artist Tatsuo Miyajima uses electrical circuits, videos, computers and other gadgets in his art. The main concepts of Miyajima are inspired by humanistic ideas and Buddhist teachings. LED counters his settings flash continuously in repetition from 1 to 9, symbolizing the journey from life to death, but avoiding the finality that is represented by 0 (zero never appears in Tatsuo's work). The ubiquitous numbers in grids, towers, and diagrams express Miyajima's interest in the ideas of continuity, eternity, connection, and the flow of time and space. Not so long ago, Miyajima's Arrow of Time object was shown at the inaugural exhibition "Incomplete Thoughts Visible in New York".
Nara Yoshimoto and the Evil Children
Nara Yoshimoto creates paintings, sculptures and drawings of children and dogs, subjects that reflect the childish sense of boredom and frustration and the fierce independence that comes naturally to toddlers. The aesthetic of Yoshimoto's work is reminiscent of traditional book illustrations, is a mixture of uneasy tension and the artist's love of punk rock. In 2011, the Asian Society Museum in New York hosted Yoshitomo's first solo exhibition entitled "Yoshitomo Nara: Nobody's Fool", covering the 20-year career of a contemporary Japanese artist. The exhibits were closely connected with world youth subcultures, their alienation and protest.
Yayoi Kusama and the space that grows with outlandish forms
Striking creative biography Yayoi Kusama lasts for seven decades. During this time, an amazing Japanese woman managed to study the fields of painting, graphics, collage, sculpture, cinema, engraving, environmental art, installation, as well as literature, fashion and clothing design. Kusama developed a highly distinctive style of dot art that has become her trademark. Illusory visions presented in the works of 88-year-old Kusama (when the world seems to be covered with sprawling outlandish forms) is the result of hallucinations she has experienced since childhood. Rooms with colorful dots and "endless" mirrors reflecting their accumulations are recognizable, they cannot be confused with anything else.
