Renowned Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama has passed away at the age of 97, her studio announced. Kusama died on August 14 at a Tokyo hospital, but her artistic journey continued until her final days.

The Yayoi Kusama Studio released a statement highlighting her commitment to art, stating, “She never set aside her brush and continued exploring themes of love and the eternal soul.” Her works aimed to inspire hope and strength for the future.

Kusama’s distinctive polka dots and repetitive motifs gained her worldwide recognition. Her art featured bold shapes like netting, swirls, or worms, with dots being a recurring theme in her installations. Her work has been displayed in prestigious venues such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City.

Polka dots are fabulous, Kusama said in a 2012 interview. She envisioned creating thousands of paintings, expressing her unwavering intent to paint for her entire life.

Her vision of a world covered with spots stemmed from childhood hallucinations. Despite spending time in psychiatric institutions, Kusama’s illness never deterred her from pursuing art. In 1957, she journeyed to New York to advance her career and made friends with figures like Andy Warhol and Georgia O’Keeffe.

During a period marked by “action painting,” Kusama remained committed to her dot style, overcoming years of obscurity and poverty. Her work caught media attention through unique performances that challenged norms and included placing dots on bodies and objects.

Kusama’s later years saw her achieving fame and commercial success. Collaborations with brands such as Louis Vuitton brought her art to a broader audience. In 2008, her work sold for $5.8 million at Christie’s, and in 2016, she received Japan’s prestigious Order of Culture award.

Though categorized as pop, avant-garde, and feminist, Kusama valued sincerity and devotion in her art. She left a lasting legacy of creativity, determination, and individuality.