Yayoi Kusama // Pumpkin (acrylic on canvas), 1991

  • Yayoi Kusama, Pumpkin, 1991. Acrylic on canvas, 72.7 × 60.6 cm. Signed, dated, and titled. A 1990s painting where the pumpkin motif embodies Kusama’s themes of repetition, obsession, and infinity.
    Pumpkin, 1991
    Acrylic on canvas, 72.7 × 60.6 cm (28 5⁄8 × 23 7⁄8 in.)
    © Yayoi Kusama. Image reproduced for educational and informational purposes only.

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    Painted in 1991, this Pumpkin reflects the continuing importance of one of Kusama’s most iconic motifs. Rendered in acrylic on canvas, the work demonstrates how the simple, organic form of the pumpkin became a vessel for her recurring themes of obsession, repetition, and infinity. Its rhythmic surface pattern and bold structure highlight the tension between playfulness and psychological intensity that defines much of her practice.
     
    By the early 1990s, the pumpkin had become firmly established as both a personal symbol and a cultural icon. While rooted in Kusama’s childhood memories and sense of comfort, the motif had also gained wide recognition, appearing in paintings, sculptures, and later monumental installations that would captivate audiences worldwide. This canvas captures that moment of transition, when the pumpkin shifted from private emblem to a defining feature of Kusama’s international reputation.

  • “I love pumpkins because of their humorous form, warm feeling, and a human-like quality.”

     – Yayoi Kusama

    For Kusama, the pumpkin was far more than a recurring subject: it was a personal emblem that embodied comfort, humour, and resilience. She often recalled childhood memories of being drawn to their form in the fields near her family home, describing the pumpkin as a presence that offered stability amidst her inner turmoil. Over time, the motif grew into a central pillar of her artistic identity, appearing across paintings, sculptures, and installations.