Famous Artists

22 Yayoi Kusama Trivia Questions: Polka Dots, Infinity Rooms & Global Art

Yayoi Kusama is one of the most recognizable figures in modern art, famous for her immersive installations and signature motifs. Her long career has spanned several continents and decades of creative experimentation.

This quiz looks at her signature style, her standard techniques, and the milestones of her career. You will see questions about her life in New York, her mental health struggles, and her giant outdoor works.

If you enjoy this, we have plenty of other quizzes. You can read about contemporary art, discover modern sculpture, or look inside famous museums and galleries.

Which of these repeating motifs is the signature element most commonly associated with Yayoi Kusama’s artwork?

Polka dots

Polka dots

Stripes

Stripes

Floral prints

Floral prints

Plaid patterns

Plaid patterns

In which global city did Yayoi Kusama live and work during the 1960s, a period where she became involved in the avant-garde art scene?

London

London

Tokyo

Tokyo

Paris

Paris

New York City

New York City

Yayoi Kusama’s famous ‘Infinity Mirror Rooms’ primarily use which of the following to create the illusion of endless space?

Mirrors and light

Mirrors and light

Video installation

Video installation

Oil paint and canvas

Oil paint and canvas

Bronze casting

Bronze casting

Where has Yayoi Kusama voluntarily resided since 1977 while continuing her prolific artistic output?

A corporate artist residency

A corporate artist residency

A mountain retreat

A mountain retreat

A remote island studio

A remote island studio

A psychiatric hospital in Tokyo

A psychiatric hospital in Tokyo

Kusama has stated that her repetitive use of dots is rooted in her lifelong struggle with which of the following?

Childhood dreams

Childhood dreams

Hallucinations

Hallucinations

Migraines

Migraines

Mathematical theorems

Mathematical theorems

Which of the following was NOT a key activity or series for Yayoi Kusama during her time in 1960s New York?

1,000 Boats Show

1,000 Boats Show

Architectural blueprints of skyscrapers

Architectural blueprints of skyscrapers

Happenings or ‘orgies’

Happenings or ‘orgies’

Accumulation sculptures

Accumulation sculptures

In which year did Yayoi Kusama debut her first ‘Infinity Mirror Room’, titled ‘Phalli’s Field’?

1967

1967

1965

1965

1961

1961

1963

1963

During her 1960s New York years, what art movement was Kusama often associated with alongside contemporaries like Andy Warhol?

Installation art

Installation art

Pop art

Pop art

Minimalism

Minimalism

Surrealism

Surrealism

In which Japanese city was Yayoi Kusama born?

Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture

Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture

A rural village in Hokkaido

A rural village in Hokkaido

The outskirts of Osaka

The outskirts of Osaka

Kyoto City center

Kyoto City center

What specific series of paintings, characterized by repetitive sweeping brushstrokes, did Kusama begin in the late 1950s?

Pumpkin sculptures

Pumpkin sculptures

Large-scale mural photography

Large-scale mural photography

The ‘Infinity Net’ paintings

The ‘Infinity Net’ paintings

Textile clothing design

Textile clothing design

Which organic form has become one of Kusama’s most famous recurring subjects, often featured as large-scale sculptures?

Pumpkins

Pumpkins

Sunflowers

Sunflowers

Tulips

Tulips

Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums

Upon moving to the United States in the late 1950s, which prominent American artist did Kusama correspond with to seek career advice?

Helen Frankenthaler

Helen Frankenthaler

Georgia O’Keeffe

Georgia O’Keeffe

Eva Hesse

Eva Hesse

Lee Krasner

Lee Krasner

In which decade did Yayoi Kusama return to significant international prominence after representing Japan at the Venice Biennale?

1980s

1980s

1990s

1990s

2000s

2000s

1970s

1970s

In 2012, Kusama gained renewed widespread fame from a high-profile collaboration with which luxury fashion house?

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton

Gucci

Gucci

Chanel

Chanel

Prada

Prada

What term did Yayoi Kusama use to describe her philosophical concept of losing one’s identity within the vastness of her repetitive patterns?

Self-Obliteration

Self-Obliteration

The Infinite Void

The Infinite Void

Space Reflection

Space Reflection

The Painted Eye

The Painted Eye

Which famous Japanese avant-garde artist did Kusama clash with in early Japanese media before her move to New York?

Takashi Murakami

Takashi Murakami

Taro Okamoto

Taro Okamoto

Yoshitomo Nara

Yoshitomo Nara

Daisaku Ikeda

Daisaku Ikeda

Kusama’s ‘Accumulation’ series featured furniture or objects completely covered in what specific items?

Steel industrial beams

Steel industrial beams

Cast iron kitchenware

Cast iron kitchenware

Plastic light fixtures

Plastic light fixtures

Fabric-covered phallic shapes

Fabric-covered phallic shapes

In what year did Kusama host the controversial ‘Grand Orgy to Awaken the Dead’ at the Museum of Modern Art’s sculpture garden?

1969

1969

1973

1973

1971

1971

1967

1967

Which of these nicknames has occasionally been used in the media to describe Yayoi Kusama?

The Sculptor of Shadow

The Sculptor of Shadow

The Neon Countess

The Neon Countess

The Priestess of Polka Dots

The Priestess of Polka Dots

The Queen of Quilts

The Queen of Quilts

Which interactive installation invites gallery visitors to cover a stark white room with colorful dot stickers?

Mirror of My Mind

Mirror of My Mind

Dot Horizon

Dot Horizon

Obliteration Room

Obliteration Room

The Space Between

The Space Between

In her early ‘Infinity Net’ works—which established the foundation for her later style—what tool did she primarily use to create the repetitive texture?

Spray paint cans

Spray paint cans

Her hands and a cloth

Her hands and a cloth

Paintbrushes

Paintbrushes

A specialized digital projector

A specialized digital projector

Which art-focused island in Japan features several outdoor permanent sculptures by Kusama, including her famous yellow pumpkin?

Sapporo

Sapporo

Naoshima

Naoshima

Osaka

Osaka

Tokyo

Tokyo

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When you are done, look at other trivia. Learn about various art movements, explore famous islands and beaches, or read up on more famous artists.

My passion for travel seamlessly integrates with my love for trivia, as I spend a lot of time on the road. I create engaging trivia quizzes based on the information I gather about new locations, food, music, customs, and people.

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