Live Auction

CA: Fine Art, Chinese Art & Rare Books

Mon, Jan 5, 2026 06:00PM EST
Lot 84

YAYOI KUSAMA (B.1929), ATTRIBUTED TO, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

Estimate: $100,000 - $150,000

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $10
$50 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$25,000 $2,500
$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000

Yayoi Kusama (b.1929), Attributed to, acrylic on canvas. Yayoi Kusama's work here centers on a highly emblematic pumpkin rendered as an intensified, almost archetypal form. The plump, ribbed segments dominate the composition, reduced to a steady geometric cadence that is at once vegetal and psychological-less a literal fruit than a repeated inner image. Across the pumpkin's surface, Kusama lays down dense, evenly spaced polka dots. The dot matrix follows the vertical swell of each segment, and subtle shifts in spacing and black-to-violet contrast create a faint illusion of volume, turning the flat field into a kind of "growing skin." The background is likewise saturated with Kusama's signature visual language: a purple-black ground overlaid by a fine, nervous web of lines. This net-like structure spreads across the entire space, enclosing the pumpkin within an environment of relentless repetition. Chromatically, the vivid purple pumpkin set against the dark field produces a cool, controlled tension. The palette retains a childlike clarity while introducing a nocturnal, inward pull, so that the familiar motif carries a slight unease beneath its charm.

Dimensions: Image size: 61 x 73 cm. All measured values are approximate.

Provenance and authenticity: According to information provided by the consignor, this lot is accompanied by documentation relating to prior opinions on attribution and authenticity, including a certificate of authenticity.

The auction house has not independently verified the provenance or authenticity of this lot, and all related information is provided for reference only.

Note: The pairing of dots and netting is not an attempt to describe external reality; it functions instead as a visualization of infinity, vertigo, and self-dissolution-core themes throughout her practice. In sum, Kusama's iconic pumpkin motif is transformed into a meditative optical field. The repeated dots operate like a pulse or mantra, continually drawing the viewer into her constructed "infinite net," where sweetness and pressure, order and obsession, coexist in a uniquely charged psychological space.