Artwork Description

Title: Butterfly
Artist: Yayoi Kusama (Japanese, b. 1929)
Date: 1989
Medium: Print on paper (ed. no. 74/100)
Dimensions: 19.7 x 22 in (50 x 56 cm)

Artwork Identification
Butterfly is a vibrant and hypnotic print by Yayoi Kusama, the legendary Japanese avant-garde artist whose work continues to defy categorization. Executed on paper and presented in a fine frame, the print features one of Kusama’s recurring subjects—the butterfly—rendered in her iconic visual language of rhythmic repetition and high-contrast patterning. Rich in symbolic resonance and graphic clarity, this work showcases Kusama’s masterful command of form and her enduring fascination with transformation, nature, and optical infinity.

Artistic Style and Influences
Deeply rooted in Kusama’s visual lexicon, Butterfly blends obsessive repetition, biomorphic design, and an intense emotional charge. While the butterfly is a traditional symbol of metamorphosis and transcendence, Kusama reinterprets it through the lens of self-obliteration and pattern-driven abstraction. The work echoes the precision of her Infinity Nets series and the immersive energy of her mirrored environments. While often associated with Pop Art and Minimalism, Kusama’s style is uniquely her own—drawing on Japanese symbolism, Surrealism, and personal psychological experience.

Historical Context
Kusama developed her distinctive vision during her time in New York in the late 1950s and 1960s, immersing herself in the experimental ethos of the downtown art scene. The themes seen in Butterfly—psychic fragmentation, repetition, and nature as a metaphor—arose from this period of innovation. By the early 2000s, Kusama had entered a phase of renewed international prominence, producing prints, sculptures, and installations that extended the motifs she had developed decades earlier. Works from this period reflect her synthesis of inner vision and universal symbolism.

Provenance and Authenticity
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

Condition and Conservation
The print remains in excellent condition. The colors are strong, the paper is clean and well-preserved, and there are no signs of foxing, toning, or creases. The surface lies flat under glass, and the frame is intact with minimal edge wear. Overall, the work has been well maintained and is suitable for immediate display.

Artistic Significance
Butterfly encapsulates Yayoi Kusama’s unparalleled ability to transform deeply personal motifs into universal visual language. As a symbol of transformation, the butterfly mirrors Kusama’s own journey—from rural Japan to international acclaim—infused with a lifetime of introspection, resilience, and creativity. With her work increasingly prized by major institutions and collectors alike, prints such as Butterfly provide accessible yet powerful insight into the mind of one of the most influential artists of the contemporary era.