Yayoi Kusama, Official Naoshima Pumpkin, 2013 (Red)

This is the official pumpkin from Naoshima island. Pumpkins have been one of Yayoi Kusama’s favorite subjects since the 1980s, recurring with such frequency as to function as a kind of avatar for the artist. In describing their personal significance, she has remained characteristically elusive, saying only, "I like the essential repetitive form of pumpkins…They're like everything else I do but at the same time very humorous.” In this miniature resin pumpkin, scaled down from one of her larger monumental public installations, the Pumpkin at Japan's Naoshima Island (also known as the "Art Island) in the Seto Inland Sea. Kusama employs her signature dot motif, applying the black dots in various sizes to suggest formal and tonal gradation. The pumpkin is a reoccurring motif in the work of iconic contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama, as are the lined dots that permeate a great number of her pieces. Enacted as a compulsive expression of infinity, Kusama’s dots have come define an entire era of her work. The artist first introduced her spotted gourds in the Japanese pavilion at the 1993 Venice Biennale, and has produced various manifestations since. This small black and yellow Pumpkin edition is made from painted resin and possesses the same rich, textured quality found in Kusama’s two-dimensional renderings.

The present work is from an unknown edition size. This particular piece is held in a limited edition, elegant box that was created in collaboration with the artist's studio. The box measures 4.8 x 5 x 4.5 inches. This work is in excellent condition.

Signature: Yayoi Kusama's printed name and copyright on the base

Manufacturer: Benesse Holdings, Inc., Naoshima, Japan

Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist authorized representative