Yayoi Kusama exhibit to debut at New York Botanical Garden

April 7 (UPI) -- The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx this weekend will be unveiling an exhibit by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama featuring artworks invoking nature.

The exhibit, titled KUSAMA: Cosmic Nature, which was delayed by pandemic restrictions, will open Saturday and run through Oct. 31.

The NYBG said the show is "the first-ever comprehensive exploration of the artist's lifelong fascination with the natural world."

Known for her use of bright colors and patterns -- particularly polka dots -- Kusama works primarily in sculpture and installations. She's gained attention for her Instagram-worthy Mirror/Infinity rooms that create the optical illusion of infinite space.

The NYBG show will include artworks from throughout Kusama's career, but will also feature pieces created specifically for the exhibition. The art will be located both indoors and outdoors, placed among the changing plant life of the seasons.

"Her explorations evoke meanings that are both personal and universal. Nature is not only a central source of inspiration, but also integral to the visceral effects of Kusama's artistic language in which organic growth and the proliferation of life are made ever-present," guest curator Mika Yoshitake said in a statement.

Among the offerings on display will be a 16-foot-tall black and yellow sculpture titled Dancing Pumpkin on the Conservatory Lawn; a purple tentacled floral form called I Want to Fly to the Universe in the Reflecting Pool; and 1,400 floating stainless steel spheres placed in the water feature of the Native Plant Garden called Narcissus Garden.

Indoors will be an interactive installation called Flower Obsession, in which visitors may place coral floral stickers on walls and objects; large polka-dot flowers in the Palms of the World Gallery called My Soul Blooms Forever; and a pink-and-gold mosaic called Starry Pumpkin in the Seasonal Exhibition Galleries.

"Dancing through our universe are noble souls whose magnificent forms are saturated with mystery. I invite you to explore the endlessly expanding ode to the beauty of love that is my art," Kusama said.