Art: Yayoi Kusama

My friend and I went up to Angel one sunny Friday afternoon to the Victoria Miro, a snazzy gallery located on one of the side streets. In here were the works of Yayoi Kusama.

Yayoi Kusama, Chandelier of Grief
http://www.victoria-miro.com/exhibitions/496/?artist=31

The ‘Chandelier of Grief’ were certainly my favourite. You enter into a small, dark room filled with mirrors.  Only approximately 6-8 people are allowed in at once which I appreciated as it gave everyone the opportunity to view the art properly, as it should be viewed. Behind you the doors close and all that is illuminated are the chandeliers which exude a haunting white light. The effects of the mirrors are magnificent. In every direction there are reflections of these beautiful chandeliers. But most impressive was the view looking upward. The central chandelier appeared to multiply infinitely, giving the impression of an eerie path lit as far you can see. It’s quite enchanting.

Another exhibition worth mentioning is ‘All the Eternal Love I have for Pumpkins’. Inside this room were luminously lit pumpkin-esque structures that varied in size. It imitated a unique little pumpkin patch. But this mirror room worked to develop this scene. The reflected pumpkins had a golden hue and again, pumpkins could be seen from every direction. A viewer of this work was enveloped by the different images of the pumpkins, transforming quite a novel patch into a rather extraordinary one.  I felt as if I was in a little pocket in Kusama’s mind that was abstract and held all the love she had for pumpkins (her love being passionate and vast) and that this little room was a physical manifestation of this pocket that she allowed people to glimpse at for a short time.

Yayoi Kusama, All the Eternal Love I have for Pumpkins,
http://www.victoria-miro.com/exhibitions/496/?artist=31 

Aside from the mirror rooms Kusama proves to be an accomplished painter. In Gallery two I enjoyed most the ‘Infinity nests’ and the ‘Infinity nests [Kupp]’. The former is painted a deep blue and spotted with green, yellow and a deeper blue. The latter had an indigo base, spotted with dark blue, green and yellow. While one reminded me of the sea, the other brought to my mind space. I liked that they were connected because it got me thinking about them collectively: about how at times the night can drop seamlessly into the sea and how they each in their own way seem to go on forever. 

I liked this exhibition. It provoked feelings and thoughts from me that came naturally: I didn’t have to strain to understand, nor did I feel that any work was loudly or obtrusively shouting at me to grasp a point, it was all just laid out, waiting to be experienced and enjoyed.

Victoria Miro,
16 Wharf Road
London,
N1 7RW

http://www.victoria-miro.com/exhibitions/496/?artist=31
http://www.yayoi-kusama.jp/e/information/