Yayoi Kusama Red Flower and a Shoe 1979, Tokyo Exhibition Print

In 1979, the intersection of domestic fashion and botanical life became a central theme for Japan’s most celebrated avant-garde artist. This print showcases a whimsical, high-heeled boot rendered in a luminous pale yellow, covered in a meticulous pattern of red and green polka dots. From the heel, a thorny red vine emerges, blooming into a jagged flower that contrasts sharply against the deep, velvety black of the background. The composition is balanced by the artist’s signature and the year 1979 floating in a soft green haze at the top left corner.

There is a playful yet obsessive quality to the repetition found within this piece. It captures a dreamlike state where everyday objects—a lace-up shoe and a simple blossom—are reimagined through a lens of infinite patterns. The stark contrast between the dark void of the background and the vibrant, textured subjects creates a sense of focused energy. Looking at this work evokes a feeling of peering into a private, surrealist world where nature and artifice are inextricably linked by dots and nets.

Grouped with mid century modern art, the composition holds its own; abstract art prints round out the theme.