Art museums have found that an exhibition by Japanese star artist Yayoi Kusama, known for polka dot patterns and mirrored “Infinity Rooms,” is a surefire hit, drawing record crowds. Her works have also set the auction world aflame in recent years.
Now, Madame Tussauds in Hong Kong aims to cash in on Kusama mania, creating a wax figure of the 87-year-old sensation that will go on view in its own custom-designed room on November 3. The Hong Kong Kusama will be the first of its kind outside Tokyo, where Kusama lovers can also make a pilgrimage to find the Doyenne of Dots.
“I was delighted to accept Madame Tussauds Hong Kong’s invitation to build an artistic themed zone for Hongkongers to experience my creative concept first-hand,” said the artist in a press release. “I hope everyone who passes through Madame Tussauds Hong Kong can fully embrace the positive energy evoked by the zone.”
Courtesy Madame Tussauds Hong Kong.
That “zone” will include Kusama’s signature polka dots, emblazoned in black on yellow walls, along with a hanging sculpture of a formidable gourd, another of her trademark images.
Kusama joins luminaries such as US President Barack Obama, legendary humanitarian and activist Mahatma Gandhi, martial artists Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, musicians Taylor Swift and Michael Jackson, among many others, at the Hong Kong outpost of Madame Tussauds. Tickets start at 150 Hong Kong dollars (about $20 US).