Even if you don't go with the fashion or art crowd, there's still a big chance that there is a Niagara of polka-dotted selfies all over your social media feed -- and this will probably continue until Sept 3.
Ongoing now at The National Gallery Singapore is the it-exhibition of the season, namely "Yayoi Kusama: Life Is The Heart Of A Rainbow". Steering in both art intellects and the masses alike with more than 120 works on all sorts of bits and bobs, this is the very first major showcase of the Japanese icon in Southeast Asia, save for previous extremely small and concentrated exhibitions in Vietnam and Philippines. On loan from other national galleries and private collectors, what is on display brings forth her less popular works that provide another side to one of the most influential living artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Pumpkin (1981).
Although unable to physically travel anymore at 88, the artist herself is still astonishingly active and very involved with this showcase -- even blessing it with the name of one of her paintings; the hot red one she sits in front of, that looks like it's got a rainbow/coral situation going on. Joining the "My Eternal Soul" series she first began in 2009, Life Is The Heart Of A Rainbow is a new painting done this year and also the trademark piece on all of the exhibition's visuals.
But beyond the veneer of Kusama's highly Instagrammable yellow and black polka-dotted schemes that have become synonymous with the artist herself -- no doubt probably what has lured visitors in the first place -- it's the more sinister roots that her works have stemmed from that are truly stirring.
Kusama checked into a mental hospital in the 70s and has been living there ever since, out of choice. It underlines how no normal person could have created works like this -- you're either mentally ill or on drugs, in order to bring such artworks, equally marvellous and menacing, to life.
Less photogenic but no less trippy are her paintings that date back to her earlier days in the 1950s. These immersive paintings show how motifs of dots, infinity nets, tulips and pumpkins have long been the focal point that has ran throughout her seven-decade-long career. Pictures do no justice -- you need to be standing up close in front of these gigantic canvases in person in order to absorb her dizzying use of neon hues that might just throw you slightly off balance. It might also make your stomach churn to learn that pumpkins are so entrenched in her work because they were her staple food during World War II, while stuffed phallic installations (splattered with polka dots, of course) are the product of her father's affairs and also her acquired skill of sewing parachutes in the factories during the war.
Her polka dots and pumpkins may dot everything from socks to Louis Vuitton totes, but Kusama's skills as an artist range beyond the flat. Different generations know her for different things and what's amazing is how her work is expansive enough to also include sculptures, fabrics, collages, performance and video. Besides her globally-recognised infinity mirror rooms (truly dazzling), room installations (engulfing and worth the trek to) and pumpkin pieces (the mosaic sculpture is new and again, emphasises how she can work it everywhere), at the exhibition you'll also come to see her forays into protesting the Vietnam War, LGBT rights and overcoming depression.
A recently created mosaic sculpture from 2015.
There's obviously a lot more to Kusama than the polka-dotted frenzy, and the Narcissus Garden installation in the last room also seals a significant turn for the venue. A lot of firsts have taken place in City Hall Chamber -- be it the Japanese surrendering to the British, Lee Kuan Yew sworn in as prime minister and now, the very first time an art exhibition is taking place in this room. The 1,500 steel balls that are scattered throughout the City Hall Chamber after all, mark how Kusama first gatecrashed the grounds of Venice Biennale in 1966 by attending with her balls, despite not being invited to exhibit. It has made its way all around the world to be displayed both indoors and outdoors and how most fitting it is that it makes its debut in the grandest room that is most important to Singaporeans.
"Yayoi Kusama: Life Is The Heart Of A Rainbow" is on display until Sept 3. Tickets cost SG$25 (614 baht). Open Sunday to Thursday, 10am-10pm and Friday to Saturday, 10am-10pm. Admission ends an hour before closing time. Visit www.nationalgallery.sg.
On display are also old photographs, peep-hole boxes and video performances.
The painting series 'My Eternal Soul' now comprises over 500 paintings, 24 of which are displayed here.
Kusama Afternoon tea
End your visit by catching a swank breather at The Fullerton Hotel. Until Sept 3, The Courtyard will be serving Yayoi Kusama-inspired afternoon tea, where you'll be able to eat her artwork, as five specially-crafted sweets on the top tier draw from her colourfully eye-catching artworks. This includes a cube of lychee mousse, which mirrors the constellation from Gleaming Lights Of The Souls, while a mango cremeux confection captures the ultimate Kusama aesthetic with its polka dots. However, it's their cottony-soft strawberry shortcake that's the highlight, as it is sandwiched between cocoa butter printed with the exhibition's trademark artwork at this Singapore exhibition: the fiery red Life Is The Heart Of A Rainbow. Alongside this spread is also the staple of finger sandwiches, bite-sized pastries, scones and free-flowing TWG tea or coffee. The Yayoi Kusama-inspired Afternoon Tea is priced at SG$43 (1,056 baht) per person. Available Monday to Friday, 3-6pm and from 2-4pm and 4.30-6pm on weekends. Visit www.fullertonhotels.com.
Polka dot your food
For a polka-dotted bite right within the museum, pop by Gallery & Co, where a special Yayoi menu is served. Keep this name in mind if you want to spend a Kusama-themed day, as there are many different eateries within the museum. The Yayoi set consists of an appetiser, a pan-seared chicken main dish, dessert and bobba tea. Expect fruit balls and chia seeds aplenty in your black tea for that dotted effect. It's pretty much just the dessert of coconut mousse, mango curd, pumpkin sponge and pumpkin biscuit that will score you photogenic points and instantaneous recognition, but other dishes look delectable too, despite not being slathered with round graphics. The venue may give off cafeteria vibes, but the beautifully-plated fares feel fancy, without breaking the bank. Dishes are sold separately but are cheaper in a set, with the bobba tea priced at SG$7.50 (184 baht), appetiser at SG$12, main dish at SG$25 and dessert at SG$12.50. Open Sunday to Wednesday, 11am-7pm and Thursday to Saturday, 3pm till late.
Get the most out of your visit
Visit the exhibition in the morning on weekdays in order to avoid crowds and long lines.
Have your cameras ready as some exhibits are timed. Visitors get 20 seconds inside the infinity mirror room.
There is a less publicised, quiet book corner filled with activity pages for children and books relating to or illustrated by Kusama. Factor in some time if you're a bookworm.
Don't forget to visit "The Obliteration Room", where you can get hands-on and stick dots wherever (and take as many photos as you want to your heart's content).
A free film screening will take place on Aug 5-6 at 3pm. Near Equal Kusama Yayoi— I Adore Myself is a documentary that offers an intimate portrait of her eccentricities as she completes 50 drawings for her "Love Forever" series.
