Grades 10 and up
127 pages
Yayoi Kusama might be one of the most famous artists you have never heard about. Or maybe you do know her from her Instagram posts?
But there is so much more to Yayoi Kusama. After a difficult childhood growing up in rural Japan, she left for New York in 1958 to create art in the pop-art movement. She became well known along Andy Warhol and Salvadore Dali, but never had their financial success. At the end of the late 1960s she got more public attention organizing a series of happenings in public places where she covered the participants bodies with brightly colored polka dots.
In 1973 Kusama returned to Japan. She checked herself into an in-patient facility because of her mental health and has been staying there ever since. She continued to create art and had some of her greatest successes and exhibits since then.
To fully appreciate this complicated and fascinating life of an artist, what could be better than a graphic novel? Check out Elisa Marcellari's graphic memoir Kusama.
Check out our other Teen Picks of the Month:
Every month the SCCLD Teen Librarians choose one book as a great read from the library's Teen collection. This is the list of the latest picks of the month.
