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Pumpkins

Yayoi Kusama was introduced to her now iconic pumpkin motif at an early age, thanks to her parents’ occupation as seed sellers. Her pumpkins, gourds or kabocha squash, are individually personified in their varied colouring and forms. Incredibly, they possess anthropomorphic postures—slumping or proud, large or diminutive.

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Meaning & Analysis

Yayoi Kusama created her first Pumpkin artwork, Kabocha (Pumpkin), as early as 1946, but her fascination with the vegetable stems from much earlier. Yayoi Kusama was introduced to her now iconic pumpkin motif at an early age, thanks to her parents’ occupation as seed sellers. Her pumpkins, gourds or kabocha squash, are individually personified in their varied colouring and forms, and have featured across mediums: in the artist’s paintings, as sculptures and in print. Explaining the reason behind her pumpkin obsession in a 2015 interview she stated, “I love pumpkins … because of their humorous form, warm feeling, and a human-like quality and form”. This much shines through in her pumpkin art, as she exaggerates the individually anthropomorphic postures of the pumkins, which range from slumping to proud, large or diminutive.

Yayoi Kusama’s sculptures of pumpkins embody her perception of the vegetable as warm and human-like. Making multiples of soft pumpkins, in collaboration with Tate, she reduplicates their fleshy, comforting texture; making large-scale public installations of metal pumpkins, she celebrates their “unpretentious and simple beauty”. Even on the grand scale of some of these latter works— the black and yellow pumpkin installed on the Naoshima Island, Japan is a vast, 6 foot by 8 foot, for example— the natural character of the pumpkin that Kusama identsifies fails to become intimidating or overly dominant, as so many large-scale public installations do. Yet this huge scale has its downfalls: in August 2021, for example, the Naoshima pumpkin suffered damage when it was swept into the sea by winds of up to 78 miles per hour.

Where her sculpted pumpkins gain much of their impact from their size and evocative plumpness, in print, it is Yayoi Kusama’s choice of colours that grabs the viewer’s attention. While many of these signed prints make use of Kusama’s classic black-yellow colouration (or variations on the two-colour theme), others make use of more elaborate palettes. Pumpkin (multicoloured) uses the colours red, yellow and pale blue on a purple background to evoke a sunset-hued vegetable. Her clever use of her dots to represent three-dimensional form, by grading her dots by size to shade the curves of the pumpkin, combined with the alternate pairing of yellow and red and blue and red evokes intermediary shades of pink that are not there. This 1990 screen-print is a exemplary demonstration of Kusama’s mastery of colour and her self-created dot technique to innovate in the age-old genre of the still life.

10 Facts About Yayoi Kusama's Pumpkins

Yayoi Kusama's Pumpkin (YY) , Kusama 231. A screenprint of an orange pumpkin created out of a pattern of orange and black polka dots against a geometric patterned background

Pumpkin (YY) , Kusama 231 © Yayoi Kusama 1996

1. Yayoi Kusama created her first Pumpkin artwork, Kabocha, in 1946

This artwork marked the inception of a motif that would become integral to her legacy. While Kusama has explored a myriad of themes and mediums throughout her career, the pumpkin holds a place of particular significance. Originating in the post-war era, Kabocha (Pumpkin) not only showcases Kusama's style but also offers a glimpse into her personal connection to the vegetable, rooted in her family's occupation. This early piece foreshadowed the pumpkin's recurrent presence in Kusama's oeuvre, from sculptures and paintings to large-scale installations.

Yayoi Kusama's Pumpkin (RT) , Kusama 316. A screenprint of a pumpkin created out of a pattern of yellow and pink polka dots against a geometric patterned background

Pumpkin (RT) , Kusama 316 © Yayoi Kusama 2004

2. Collaborating with Tate, Kusama made multiple soft pumpkins

Kusama's partnership with the prestigious Tate Modern Gallery led to the birth of a series of soft pumpkins, marking a unique tangent in her pumpkin-infused journey. While Kusama's earlier works mostly manifested in robust sculptures or vivacious paintings, this collaboration showcased a softer, tactile aspect of her vision. These soft sculptures captured the "warm and human-like" essence of pumpkins that Kusama often referred to. The collaboration was an embodiment of two art powerhouses coming together: Kusama's timeless creativity and Tate's global platform.

 Yayoi Kusama's Pumpkin (black and white). An etching of a pumpkin created out of a pattern of black and white polka dots against a white background

Pumpkin (black and white) © Yayoi Kusama 1995

3. Kusama was introduced to pumpkins by her parents

Kusama's early introduction to the world of pumpkins was deeply rooted in her family background. Growing up, her parents were involved in the business of selling seeds, immersing Kusama in a universe of agriculture and natural themes. This familial occupation not only acquainted her with various plant species but prominently highlighted the pumpkin, which later would become an emblem in her career.

Yayoi Kusama's Pumpkin (OG) , Kusama 156. A screenprint of a pumpkin created out of a pattern of yellow, blue, and pink polka dots against a geometric patterned blue background

Pumpkin (OG) , Kusama 156 © Yayoi Kusama 1992