Yayoi Kusama // Pumpkins, acyrylic on canvas, 1981

  • Yayoi Kusama, Pumpkin, 1981. Acrylic on canvas, 16 × 22 cm. Features Kusama’s iconic pumpkin motif, painted with bold polka dots and vibrant colour in her recognisable style.
    Pumpkin, 1981
    Acrylic on canvas, 16 × 22 cm (6 1/4 × 8 5/8 in.)
    © Yayoi Kusama. IMAGE REPRODUCED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.
     
    Yayoi Kusama’s Pumpkin (1981) is an intimate black-and-white acrylic on canvas measuring 16 × 22 cm. Signed, titled in Japanese, and dated on the reverse, the work reflects Kusama’s enduring connection to one of her most iconic motifs. Unlike her later vibrant, large-scale pumpkins, this smaller monochrome piece captures the motif in a restrained and meditative form, emphasising structure and pattern over colour.
     
    The pumpkin had long been a deeply personal symbol for Kusama, rooted in her childhood memories and her fascination with organic forms. In this 1981 work, the fruit’s surface is rendered through rhythmic linework and repetition, echoing her lifelong exploration of infinity and obsession. The choice of a minimal palette heightens the intensity of the form, allowing the viewer to focus on the interplay of texture, rhythm, and psychological depth.

  • "Pumpkins bring about poetic peace in my mind.” 

    — Yayoi Kusama

    As with many of her pumpkin works, Pumpkin (1981) bridges the personal and the universal. At once whimsical and profound, the piece affirms the motif’s central role in Kusama’s practice, foreshadowing the monumental sculptures and vibrant editions that would later define her global reputation.