About Yayoi Kusama Yayoi Kusama, born in Japan, Matsumoto Nagano (88 years old) (草間 彌生 or 弥生 Kusama Yayoi born March 22 1929) is a Japanese artist and writer. Throughout her career she has worked in a wide variety of media including painting collage sculpture performance art and environmental installations most of which exhibit her thematic interest in psychedelic colors repetition and pattern.