Artwork Description

Title: Brilliant Pumpkin
Artist: Yayoi Kusama (Japanese, b. 1929)
Date: 1990
Medium: Print on paper
Dimensions: 22.4 x 20.1 in (57 x 51 cm)

Artwork Identification
Brilliant Pumpkin is a vibrant print by Yayoi Kusama, one of the most celebrated and visionary figures in contemporary art. Executed on paper and professionally framed, this work features Kusama’s iconic pumpkin motif, adorned with her signature polka dots. The composition bursts with optical rhythm and hallucinatory precision, highlighting the artist’s enduring exploration of repetition, pattern, and biomorphic form. The image radiates a hypnotic intensity, a visual manifestation of Kusama’s fascination with infinity and self-obliteration.

Artistic Style and Influences
Kusama’s distinctive aesthetic—marked by obsessive repetition, bold coloration, and immersive patterning—has aligned her work with numerous art movements, including Pop Art, Minimalism, and Feminist Art, though she resists categorization. In Brilliant Pumpkin, the use of polka dots transforms the humble gourd into a universal symbol, bridging the personal and the cosmic. The motif, rooted in childhood hallucinations, has become synonymous with Kusama’s larger practice, appearing in installations, sculptures, and prints alike. This work continues her dialogue with themes of psychological interiority and cosmic infinity.

Historical Context
Emerging from postwar Japan and relocating to the U.S. in the late 1950s, Kusama quickly established herself within New York’s avant-garde. Her performances, installations, and paintings challenged conventions of authorship, gender, and spectacle. While Brilliant Pumpkin was produced decades later, it reflects the full maturation of ideas first developed during that formative period. The pumpkin, a recurring motif since the 1980s, has come to embody both Kusama’s personal history and her meditative process—standing as a comforting, stabilizing form amidst a world of overwhelming stimuli.

Provenance and Authenticity
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

Condition and Conservation
The print is in excellent condition, with vibrant color retention and no visible signs of foxing, creasing, or handling wear. The paper is evenly toned and lies flat within the frame. Protected behind glazing, the piece shows no surface abrasion. The frame is in good condition with only minor scuffing at the edges consistent with storage and display.

Artistic Significance
Brilliant Pumpkin encapsulates the essence of Yayoi Kusama’s enduring artistic vocabulary: obsessive detail, joyful repetition, and psychological depth. As one of the most instantly recognizable motifs in her oeuvre, the pumpkin bridges personal narrative with universal resonance. This print offers collectors an accessible and iconic example of Kusama’s larger philosophy—a vision of art as both a mirror and a sanctuary. With Kusama’s international legacy firmly established, her editions continue to be sought after by major institutions and private collectors worldwide.