Contemplate this: a giant polka-dotted pumpkin has landed in Kensington Gardens. It’s not just any pumpkin. It is the Pumpkin sculpture by Yayoi Kusama. This six-metre-high bronze sculpture stands proudly by the Round Pond.
Yayoi Kusama sent it to London with love. Kusama is a 95-year-old Japanese artist. She is known for her trademark polka dots. Pumpkins regularly appear in her work.
Kusama says pumpkins have comforted her since childhood. They are tender to touch. She finds them appealing in colour and form. They are humble and amusing. Pumpkins speak to her of the joy of living.
This Pumpkin sculpture is Kusama’s tallest bronze pumpkin to date. It stands at six metres tall. It has a diameter of 5.5 metres. The Pumpkin interacts with its surroundings.
Serpentine Gallery gave Kusama her first British retrospective show 24 years ago. Bettina Korek and Hans Ulrich Obrist are Serpentine’s CEO and artistic director. They feel honoured to show her work. Kusama’s signature pumpkins have become a landmark motif. Her first major survey exhibition in Britain was staged in their galleries in 2000.
Kusama is one of the world’s best-selling living female artists. Her mirror room show at Tate Modern ran for three years. Public demand kept it open until April.
Besides the Pumpkin sculpture, visitors can see this year’s pavilion. Korean architect Minsuk Cho designed it. It includes a library and a tea house. Everything is designed around a traditional Korean courtyard.
You can view the Pumpkin sculpture until November 3rd. It is a beacon for joggers and dog walkers. It is a joyful, polka-dotted surprise in the heart of London.
The dot expands into linked forms. They interact with and define public spaces. Victoria Miro gallery supports the work. The Crossrail Art Foundation commissioned it. It is part of the Elizabeth Line’s public art programme.
Yayoi Kusama’s Pumpkin sculpture connects art, nature and the soul. It is a reminder of the simple joys in life. Look closely. What do you see?