Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms
“Accumulation is the result of my obsession and that philosophy is the main theme of my art. Accumulation means the stars in the universe don’t exist by themselves nor does the earth exist by itself. ” -Yayoi Kusama
From Phalli’s Field, all the way to Everyday I Pray for Love, Yayoi Kusama has made her name well known over the years. Kusama’s art has been displayed all over the world — in fact, she even has a whole museum dedicated to her in Japan!
Yayoi Kusama’s art is filled with trauma, betrayal, and obsession. However, she is able to display some of the worst feelings into beautiful, mesmerizing rooms that swallow your mind and soul.
Here is a complete list of all of Yayoi Kusama’s infinity mirrored rooms:
1965 — Phalli’s Field
Yayoi Kusama’s first infinity room, Phalli’s Field, was one worth noticing in the art world. With hundreds of hand-sewn, phallus-like figures filling the room, Kusama grew tired of sewing and stuffing. In fact, she spent a lot of her time between 1962–1964 sewing these! This is when she had the brilliant idea of turning her display into an infinity mirror room — infinite stuffed figures with only half of the sewing involved. Another amazing aspect of this installation was that the viewer was able to be a part of it. Standing in the middle of the room, the viewer appears to be surrounded by a sea of red polka dots.
Artist Factoid: Kusama’s mother would have her spy on her father’s affairs, which led to a lifelong aversion to sex — thus giving the inspiration to multiple phallic related pieces of work.
1966 — Love Forever
Unlike Kusama’s first installation, this is not an interactive room. Rather than waking into the illusion, visitors will look through two small peepholes located on the side of the room. There are two, so you can bring a friend!
There’s an old superstition that says if Newlyweds look into a mirror after being freshly married, their souls will be united forever. The magical lighting in this room doubled with the mirrors all around makes for a magical experience. Just don’t be alarmed if you see your face a few dozen times!
1996 — Repetitive Vision
In this room, you’ll have company. Leaning more towards the simplistic side of things, the floor is white and covered in red polka dots that vary in size. Just like the others, it is surrounded by mirrors. However, unlike the others, there are mannequins in the room!
The mannequins match the floor pattern with white bodies and red dots. The room is lacking lighting, except for a few orbs of light hanging from the ceiling. This one has a more eerie feeling, but art is supposed to make you feel something — right?
1996 — Infinity Dots Mirrored Room
This room has a unique factor in the sense that you’re legitimately surrounded by mirrors. Kusama opted to have mirrors not only all around the room, but a mirror on the ceiling as well.
The installation has polka dots on the floor, much like the Repetitive Vision installation. What makes this room so unique is the lighting! There are black lights installed in the room, making the dots surrounding you glow vibrantly. It’s more on the simplistic side, but beautiful nonetheless.
2002 — The Obliteration Room
The Obliteration Room is my personal Yayoi Kusama favorite. It features a white room full of colorful dotted stickers! When you walk in the room, you are given a sticker and you can place it on the art! Who said you can’t touch the art? ;)
2002 — Fireflies on the Water
Fireflies on the Water is a unique room that includes wood, water, and beautiful fairy lights. The exhibit surrounds you with lights above the water, creating a “fire-fly” illusion. You stand on a wooden platform that looks like you are standing on a dock on water.
2002 — Soul Under the Moon
This installation is a dark room that is full of neon colored lights that fill the air! The lights hang and dangle all around you creating an “under the moon” experience.
2007 — Love Transformed Into Dots
A mirrored room full of light-up, pink balls covered in black polka-dots. The floor and ceiling is also pink covered in black polka-dots ! If pink is your favorite color, than this is definitely the room for you!
2008 — Gleaming Lights of the Souls
Lights and water are used in this infinity mirror exhibit as well! The room itself is four by four meters, and you stand on a platform similar to Fireflies on the Water. However, the lights in this room are more round like ping-pong balls rather than the stringy fairy lights in Fireflies on the Water. They are like glowing, floating souls all around you!
2009 — Aftermath of the Obliteration of Eternity
Beautiful, warm lantern-like lights fill this room into eternity. Some people say it is like looking into a summer sunrise, and others compare it to a lantern festival when you let lanterns float away into the sky at night. Beautiful!
2013 — The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away
The lights in this infinity mirror room are very small and frail. The title of the exhibit summarizes it’s aesthetic perfectly. The lights are hanging from the ceiling and make you feel like you’re inside a galaxy!
2013 — Love is Calling
Kusama combined her sculpture abilities into this infinity mirror room. She created large, colorful neon spirals that illuminate the infinity mirror room! The sculptures are different colors, and give the room a pop-art vibe.
2014 — Brilliance of the Souls
Absolutely brilliant — if you ask me. This room uses larger multi-colored balls of light that illuminate the room. The materials of the room include mirrors, wooden panels, LED, metal, acrylic panels, and water.
Stepping into this room makes you feel like you are surrounded by beautiful orbs that are simply there to put you in awe.
2016 — All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins
This is another one of my favorite rooms! The pumpkins are made out of an acrylic substance and are covered in black polka-dots!
It’s like walking through the coolest pumpkin patch EVER!
2017 — Let’s Survive Forever
Let’s Survive forever is unlike Kusama’s other infinity mirrored rooms. The room is fully lit, and reflective spheres are hanging from the ceiling as well as placed along the floor.
These reflective orbs are arranged all around the room, and there is also a reflective pillar in the middle of the room as well. This creates the illusion that you are surrounded by mirrored orbs all around you!
2017 — Longing for Eternity
You cannot actually enter this infinity mirror room. Why? Because it is actually a hexagonal chamber that is filled with multi-colored changing lights!
The chamber has holes — windows — that you can look through to view the infinity effect. The lights are arranged in the symmetrical hexagon shape, so it is very satisfying to watch it change colors!
2018 — My Heart is Dancing into the Universe
Included in this exhibit are multiple paper lanterns that have holes cut in them allowing light to shine through. The lanterns are spherical and are hanging from the ceiling.
The spheres change colors, thus creating the effect of being absorbed into an infinite reality of dots and light.
2018 — Light of Life
Similar to Longing for Eternity, Light of Life is an infinity mirrored room that you peer into rather than enter.
Small, circular lights are placed on the top and bottom of the art installation. The lights are different colors that blink very quickly. When you pop your head into the chamber, you enter the speed of light.
2019 — Dancing Lights that Flew Up to the Universe
Sincerely stunning — the recent infinity mirror room collects the warmth of a sunset without the use of the sun. This infinity mirror room is full of relaxation and energy combined.
How does she do it?
Her art truly is one of a kind. The idea of placing a bunch of mirrors together to create an infinite room is truly original and beautiful.
She used many different materials, but some are actually easier to find than you think!
If building an infinity mirror room is something you would like to achieve, than finding the glass and acrylic first surface mirrors can be found places like https://www.twowaymirrors.com/.
Creating lights and sculptures will require tools as well. You can find clay, paper, lights, and other accessories at your local craft store!
You can even create a smaller infinity mirror if you’re simply inspired by the infinity effect but are unsure about dedicating a whole room to it!
