Yayoi Kusama, the Modern Alice

Abstract

Abstract Yayoi Kusama's polka dot art and Infinity Mirror rooms have made her one of the most successful artists alive today. Her more than seven-decade-long career has provided ample fodder for scholars to examine her artistic preoccupations. This article considers the scholarly consensus on the role of performance in Kusama's oeuvre and then examines two works, a 1968 happening and a 2013 illustrated book, in which Kusama (1929‐present) adapts Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland novels. By adapting Alice, Kusama is able to sharpen themes and symbols that she has deployed since the early days of her career.