By Tiffany Ran
Northwest Asian Weekly
“Infinity Mirrored Room – Love Forever”
Enter a room of infinite lights or dots that appear to float across an endless reflective plane simulated by numerous glass mirrors and one might feel the sense of cosmic wonderment or surreal harmony which artist Yayoi Kusama envisioned as part of her work. Her “Infinity Mirrors” traveling exhibition drew crowds by the thousands when it debuted at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C.
This month, the exhibit will land at the Seattle Art Museum. Ticket sales for the exhibit began on May 30. The exhibit will open in Seattle on June 30 to Sept. 10. Along with five mirrored rooms, the exhibit will feature an overview of Kusama’s 65-year career, including works on paper, sculptures, and large scale paintings from the 1950s to the present. This also includes her works during the 1960s, which were often showcased alongside other notable artists like Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg.
For Kusama, this exhibit marks a great return to Seattle since her first U.S. solo exhibition of paintings and watercolors at the now closed Zoë Dusanne Gallery in 1957. Much of Kusama’s early works were influenced by war. Her earliest work addresses her experience growing up during World War II in Japan, including dark forms and abstract renderings in her paintings and watercolors. Subsequent works also include her activist art made in opposition to the Vietnam War.
“Yellow Tree”
The exhibit and Kusama’s life work is a progression from micro to macro that will push visitors into close examination of humanity and subsequently pull them out and immerse viewers in an otherworldly cosmic space. An examination of her art over the years will lead to a greater understanding of her signature Infinity Mirrors. The Seattle Art Museum anticipates long lines for each of the Infinity Rooms. Visitors should expect to spend one to two hours at the exhibition. The Infinity Mirror Rooms allow for two to three people at a time, at 20 to 30 seconds, per the artist’s requests. Timed ticketing will be in effect for the duration of the exhibition in anticipation from the high demand.
For more information about Yayoi Kasuma: Infinity Mirrors, visit seattleartmuseum.org.
Tiffany Ran can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.