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Kusama has been named the world’s most popular artist / PHOTO: YAYOI KUSAMA
Yayoi Kusama – the Japanese artist famed for her use of repetitive patterns, polka dots and bold colours – has announced the opening of her own art museum, in Tokyo, Japan.
The five-storey museum building, designed by architecture firm Kume Sekkei, has already been erected in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, but the purpose of the structure had been kept under wraps.
Two of the storeys will be devoted to exhibiting Kusama’s latest artworks, while one floor will be dedicated to an Infinity Mirrors installation. There will also be archive space, a reading room and a shop.
“This museum is established by Yayoi Kusama and managed by the general incorporated association, Yayoi Kusama Foundation, with the purpose of dissemination and promotion of Kusama’s art throughout the exhibition of her artworks and related materials, to contribute afterwards to the general development of art,” said a museum statement.
“We aim to be the museum where everyone can get familiar with contemporary art; we transmit the message of world peace and human love, which Kusama has been embodying through her artworks, and hold biannual exhibition with her artwork collection along with some lectures,” it said.
Art therapy The artist, who was born in Nagano Prefecture in 1929, has long spoken out about her desire for a peaceful, non-violent planet and also about how art has helped her deal with her mental illnesses and obsessive-compulsive neurosis.
“The world today is in a terrible situation,” Kusama told Bomb magazine. “My desire to use my art to protest against war and man’s inhumanity to man has never diminished. I am always trying to transmit through my work the message that we should all live life in peace and with humanitarian love.”
Since childhood, Kusama has painted numerous dots and “nets”, which she says helps block out dark thoughts in her head.
“I am an obsessional artist. I consider myself a heretic of the art world. I think only of myself when I make my artwork,” Kusama says. “I will continue to create artwork as long as my passion keeps me doing so. I am deeply moved that so many people have been my fans. I have been grappling with art as a therapy for my disease, but I suppose I would not be able to know how people would evaluate my art until after I die. I create art for the healing of all mankind.”
Kusama’s eminently “instagrammable” works – from huge polka-dot pumpkins to seemingly endless expanses of twinkling lights – could be a starting point for imaginative forms of visitor engagement. The museum will likely feature unique photo opportunities and other ways to engage visitors – and their phones – with art.
Named by the Art Newspaper as the world’s most popular artist in 2014, Kusama may also want her visitors to take advantage of their social media networks to infinitely share their experiences – and their selfies.
The Yayoi Kusama Museum is scheduled to open on 1 October, and its debut exhibition is titled Creation is a Solitary Pursuit, Love is What Brings You Closer to Art. Admission costs ¥1000 ($9 €8, £7) and scheduled visits last about 90 minutes.
A major retrospective, Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors, is touring North America and is currently on display at Seattle Art Museum in Seattle, Washington.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Interview: Wolfgang Kiessling
We talked to Wolfgang Kiessling, who set
up a small parrot park on Tenerife in the
1970s. Today, Loro Parque and Siam Park
are some of Europe’s top attractions
Promotional feature: Sysco Productions
Sysco Productions is a world-class experience delivery
company, working for global clients in the museum and
heritage, exhibition, and sports and leisure industries
Yayoi Kusama: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow is on at the National Gallery Singapore / PHOTO: PA IMAGES / Then Chih Wey
People view Kusama’s artwork Obliteration Room at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC; the five-storey museum is opening in October / PHOTO: PA IMAGES / JOSHUA ROBERTS
Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC; the five-storey museum is opening in October
Kusama has been named the world’s most popular artist / PHOTO: YAYOI KUSAMA
Yayoi Kusama – the Japanese artist famed for her use of repetitive patterns, polka dots and bold colours – has announced the opening of her own art museum, in Tokyo, Japan.
The five-storey museum building, designed by architecture firm Kume Sekkei, has already been erected in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, but the purpose of the structure had been kept under wraps.
Two of the storeys will be devoted to exhibiting Kusama’s latest artworks, while one floor will be dedicated to an Infinity Mirrors installation. There will also be archive space, a reading room and a shop.
“This museum is established by Yayoi Kusama and managed by the general incorporated association, Yayoi Kusama Foundation, with the purpose of dissemination and promotion of Kusama’s art throughout the exhibition of her artworks and related materials, to contribute afterwards to the general development of art,” said a museum statement.
“We aim to be the museum where everyone can get familiar with contemporary art; we transmit the message of world peace and human love, which Kusama has been embodying through her artworks, and hold biannual exhibition with her artwork collection along with some lectures,” it said.
Art therapy The artist, who was born in Nagano Prefecture in 1929, has long spoken out about her desire for a peaceful, non-violent planet and also about how art has helped her deal with her mental illnesses and obsessive-compulsive neurosis.
“The world today is in a terrible situation,” Kusama told Bomb magazine. “My desire to use my art to protest against war and man’s inhumanity to man has never diminished. I am always trying to transmit through my work the message that we should all live life in peace and with humanitarian love.”
Since childhood, Kusama has painted numerous dots and “nets”, which she says helps block out dark thoughts in her head.
“I am an obsessional artist. I consider myself a heretic of the art world. I think only of myself when I make my artwork,” Kusama says. “I will continue to create artwork as long as my passion keeps me doing so. I am deeply moved that so many people have been my fans. I have been grappling with art as a therapy for my disease, but I suppose I would not be able to know how people would evaluate my art until after I die. I create art for the healing of all mankind.”
Kusama’s eminently “instagrammable” works – from huge polka-dot pumpkins to seemingly endless expanses of twinkling lights – could be a starting point for imaginative forms of visitor engagement. The museum will likely feature unique photo opportunities and other ways to engage visitors – and their phones – with art.
Named by the Art Newspaper as the world’s most popular artist in 2014, Kusama may also want her visitors to take advantage of their social media networks to infinitely share their experiences – and their selfies.
The Yayoi Kusama Museum is scheduled to open on 1 October, and its debut exhibition is titled Creation is a Solitary Pursuit, Love is What Brings You Closer to Art. Admission costs ¥1000 ($9 €8, £7) and scheduled visits last about 90 minutes.
A major retrospective, Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors, is touring North America and is currently on display at Seattle Art Museum in Seattle, Washington.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Interview: Wolfgang Kiessling
We talked to Wolfgang Kiessling, who set
up a small parrot park on Tenerife in the
1970s. Today, Loro Parque and Siam Park
are some of Europe’s top attractions
Promotional feature: Sysco Productions
Sysco Productions is a world-class experience delivery
company, working for global clients in the museum and
heritage, exhibition, and sports and leisure industries
Yayoi Kusama: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow is on at the National Gallery Singapore / PHOTO: PA IMAGES / Then Chih Wey
People view Kusama’s artwork Obliteration Room at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC; the five-storey museum is opening in October / PHOTO: PA IMAGES / JOSHUA ROBERTS
Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC; the five-storey museum is opening in October
Global Wellness Day (GWD) will mark its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
Longevitix, a clinical platform for preventive and longevity medicine, has launched its AI-
powered intelligence system to help physicians deliver continuous, personalised longevity-
focused care at scale.
Atmantan Wellness Centre, an integrative wellness destination in Mulshi, near Pune in India, is
expanding its portfolio by adding a new centre in Hyderabad that will launch between 2028 and
2029.
A recent survey by the UK Spa Association (UKSA) into the industry’s approach to cancer care
has revealed that almost half of participating respondents (46 per cent) are unaware that
cancer is a disability and guests with a cancer diagnosis must be given
