A world-famous Japanese female artist, Yayoi Kusama, passed away at the age of 97. I've never met her in person, but for some reason, I felt a little bit closer to her than to other artists. I lived in her hometown, Matsumoto City, for seven years with my family. In the city, there is a museum that has a gigantic tulip sculpture created by her. I knew about her when I first saw the sculpture. It's covered with polka dots and made a huge impression on me. My American friend Matt also likes her art, and we often talked about her.

Last year, I attended her art exhibit in Kyoto. I wrote about the show and her here.

I'm not a huge fan of modern or abstract art because I sometimes can't understand it, but I like her art. I especially like she using vivid colors. Most of her pieces are simple, but these vivid colors give them powerful and optimistic feelings. Every time I see her work, it lifts my spirits. That's why I like her art.

The news said that she was painting on the day before she was going to die. I believe that she must have been very happy to be able to keep painting until the very end of her life. I hope she set off her final journey peacefully.

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