What Does Living a Life Mean? — Yayoi Kusama

“What does living a life mean? I lose myself in this thought every time I create artwork.” — Yayoi Kusama

One of the many beautiful gems from the artist Yayoi Kusama’s life is that, even when feeling immense inner struggles like loneliness and trauma, we can choose to transform and translate our thoughts and feelings into something expansive, joyful, and connective.

My current live Great Artist’s Footsteps studio class in Petaluma is focusing on the contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama — and I get to see firsthand how powerful delving into this artist’s world can be.

My students are writing, sketching, and sculpting their own thoughts and feelings into amazing and bold shapes, and placing them inside cardboard miniature rooms inspired by Kusama’s infinity rooms.

Seeing their passion and connection with Kusama’s inner and outer landscapes is so meaningful and exciting. And it is setting off creative fireworks in our classroom community.

I am so proud of these art students — they are trusting the process of following in a great artist’s footsteps and trusting in me. Their work is colorful, fun, important, and free.

Love, Eliz