Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese artist known for her polka dot patterns and installations. She started creating art as a child and studied Japanese painting styles. Frustrated by these traditional styles, she became interested in American and European avant-garde art. In 1957, she moved to New York City where she produced abstract expressionist-influenced paintings. Kusama has experienced hallucinations since childhood that have inspired her work. She works in various media including painting, sculpture, performance art and installations that often feature repetition, psychedelia and patterns.