Yayoi Kusama traces her lifelong interest in pumpkins to a trip to a seed-harvesting ground that she took with her grandfather when she was in elementary school. Since then, pumpkins have played a significant role in her imagery due to what she describes as their "generous unpretentiousness" and "solid spiritual balance."

Pumpkin (stem detail), 2016
Fiberglass-reinforced polyester with acrylic enamel coating
Hirshhorn Museum
Washington, DC

05.17.23