We’re celebrating Disability Pride month!

This Disability Pride Month, we’re celebrating the many ways people with disability change the world in bold and boundary-pushing ways. Among these trailblazers is Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama. 

If you’ve ever been in a room full of mirrors and glowing polka dots, or walked past giant spotted pumpkins, chances are you’ve had a glimpse into the extraordinary mind of Kusama — one of the world’s most celebrated artists. 

Perhaps you were even lucky enough to visit the National Gallery of Victoria’s recent exhibition of her work, which welcomed more that 570,000 visitors! 

Born in Japan in 1929, Yayoi Kusama began experiencing vivid hallucinations as a child — often involving flashing lights, dots and strange pumpkin-like shapes. To make sense of these, she would draw out what she saw. Her art became a way to process, express, and share her inner world with others. 

Kusama has obsessive compulsive disorder and other mental health conditions. In the 1970s, she voluntarily checked herself into a mental health facility in Tokyo — where she still lives today. She commutes to her nearby studio to create iconic art, each day. 

Over her eight-decade career, Kusama has become a global icon. Her Infinity Mirror Rooms have drawn millions of visitors. Her work has been displayed in the most prestigious galleries around the world. She has influenced fashion, design and pop culture. 

But just as importantly, she has helped reframe how society sees mental illness and disability. 

By sharing her mental health experiences through her art, Kusama has challenged stigma and helped others see that people experience the world in many ways. 

Disability Pride Month is about recognising and celebrating the strength, creativity, and contributions of people with disability.  

At Aruma, we celebrate the diverse experiences and talents within the disability community and promote a culture of inclusion, empowerment, and disability pride every day.