DOTS OBSESSION — 2015
No artist embodies a life of obsession quite like her. As a child, Yayoi Kusama began seeing polka dots everywhere she went and since then, she paints dots and her hallucinations as a way of escaping her dark visions. Having always been fascinated by her polka dot art and phallus installations, I chose to feature the artist for this experimental coffee table book, focusing on her obsession with dots. Designed to be interactive, the publication allows the reader to gain a better understanding of her obsession, offering a glimpse into her life. As her works are strongly influenced by her mental condition, 3D glasses are provided for the reader to experience her hallucinogenic vision of dots.
Showcased in a box, there are 16 paper pouches, each with different themes to represent the transition of her exploration and obsession with dots over the years. The cover features artworks she produced throughout her timeline, beginning with the first artwork she created as a child. Opening each paper pouch shares a short story about her life or ideology behind the artwork, and reveals a pair of 3D paper glasses.
The paper glasses enables the reader to experience her works on a whole new level through her distinctive polka dot vision. The lenses are filled with an illustrative dots pattern design inspired by the featured artwork, with a matching quote shared by the artist about dots on the side frame. As the reader puts on the glasses, he can experience a hallucinogenic visual experience of her works come alive in his surroundings.
