Kusama is a biographical Graphic Novel of the artist Yayoi Kusama and her struggles throughout her life and her career.

I will start out by saying that Yayoi Kusama herself is an awesome and memorable artist. It was interesting to see and learn about her journey in a medium such as this. I thought the art used here was also quite intriguing and kept me entertained.

I do however think that the Graphic Novel came across a little bit too much like crossing lines on a list. "This happened and then she did this and then this happened". I was looking forward to having a more personal and perhaps more in-depth look into her art and life than that but that is hard to do in such a short manner. Seeing how the art was created and focusing more on the pieces would have been really interesting as well.

This graphic novel portrays the life of Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama and educates the reader on what it was like in Japan to be a woman that had a burning desire to become her true inner self, an artist. The artwork that is used in this graphic novel is well done, but it's worth noting that during the story of Kusama, there are some artwork that is not suitable for a younger reader. If you are into learning about great women in history, I recommend this graphic novel.

Elisa Macellari did an incredible job bringing Yayoi Kusama's biography into life. I had absolutely no idea how massive Yayoi Kusama's influence was in that decade, This will surely inspire a lot of people into pursuing their passions no matter how hard it is. I hope that I could see her works up close in the future.

Art can be tricky to understand at the best of times. With so many different interpretations and meanings being presented, it's hard to know which writings to follow.
Personally I connect better with an artist's work by getting to know more about the artist and their creative process.

Kusama has some incredible notable works such as her infinity room installations and her famous passion for dots. By getting to know her life and influences in this beautifully simple colour palette of a graphic novel, I have new love and appreciation for her work. The subtle nods to Japanese design throughout the book and the delicate attention to detail in even the smallest of images enrich her story even more.

I would love to see an entire series on contemporary artists in such a thoughtful and accessible format.

This graphic novel would make Kusama proud. It is deep and reflective and shows up the story of a woman history is trying to forget. The art is a testament to Kusama's own style. My only gripe is that it's too short and I'm yearning for more. The author did an amazing job using creative freedom and the background art styles to tell the story. I recommend it to anyone who didn't get a chance to learn about this amazing woman in art history.

a beautifully rendered glimpse into the life and work of queen-of-the-polka-dot yayoi kusama.

the first time I remember seeing kusama's work was in my undergraduate college's art museum: a baby carriage covered in silver stuffed phallic "protrusions." the second was on naoshima, japan's "art island": a giant yellow japanese pumpkin covered in black polka dots of varying size. the third, and most spectacular of all, was at the hirshhorn museum in washington d.c.: the famous "infinity mirrors" exhibit. i left the exhibit convinced that yayoi kusama was a complete and utter genius.

the artwork of "kusama" is gorgeous: captivating line work brought to life with a minimal yet vivid color palette. elisa macellari does a great job at making the most of the inherent visual-medium-ness of graphic works by evoking kusama's style throughout the narrative, giving readers both previously familiar and unfamiliar with kusama's work a connection to it.

the narrative itself is clear, informative, and emotional. my only complaint is that "kusama" is far too short; with a good 80% of the narrative focusing on kusama's early life and work, it felt like the book should be at least twice as long!

ultimately, "kusama" is well-worth checking out. while it provides more substance to those unfamiliar with yayoi kusama and her work, there is still enough of interest to those who already enjoy her work and/or are familiar with her background. i look forward to seeing more of elisa macellari's work in the future.

thank you to netgalley and laurence king publishing for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been to Yayoi Kusama’s pop-up exhibit in Toronto and found myself appreciating the environment created by her art work. Little did I know of the gravity of her mental state that poured into her pieces during production. This graphic novel biography does a great job at summarizing her life’s journey and highlighting her dependence on her art to help her cope with the inner workings of her mind. This was beautifully drawn alongside a well-executed story line that does both Kusama’s experience and art style much justice.

I loved Macelarri's art in this book - it was delicate but expressive, and the use of colour was particularly meticulous. The art also complimented Kusama's own work, subtly changing alongside the developing styles of Kusama's work across time - a tricky balance to achieve when creating a graphic biography.
I found the book to be most effective when documenting the progression of Kusama's work, and its reception. I went into the book only knowing Kusama's more recent work, and knowing very little about her as person, and I perhaps would have liked a bit more insight into her actual life - the work is paid much more attention here than the everyday. This could also be my own tastes however - I'm much more prone to reading graphic autobiographies.
This is an insightful read, and gorgeous to simply appreciate visually - I would recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about Yayoi Kusama, though I may be tracking down her own autobiography to get a bit more detail.

In this graphic novel we get to know who the artist Yayoi Kusama is. I haven't heard of their name, but I have seen some of their art pieces online.

I picked out this novel because of the color scheme on the cover. It follows throughout the whole story as we get glimpses of Kusama's past with family, work and struggles of life. After reading this, my first thought was..."wow, she's a badass' and my hope is to someday see her work in person. The art style was the best part of this graphic.
Unfortunately, the text didn't provide the same type of feeling as the art. It felt like different sections were missing words or at least scattered everywhere. I wished it would have dug a little deeper and had a constant story flow.

I would like to say thank you to netgalley for proving me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A graphic novel about the artist Yayoi Kusama. It was interesting to find out a little more about her and I thought the illustrations fit her art very well. An interesting way to read a biography embedded in the art.

Kusama, The Graphic Novel, is an attempt by Elisa Macellari to chronicle the influential artist's life journey from Nagano Prefecture in Japan to New York and back to Japan. She also explores Yayoi Kusama's mental disability and how much of it influenced her art.

WHY I LOVE THE BOOK
This is a book that showcases her contribution to the alternative movements that exists within the United States at the time. The author also reveals Kusama's ambitions and struggles within and outside those movements. I appreciate the inclusion of friends who helped her on her way as well as a peek into her artistic process.

DISLIKES
The illustration here does little to elevate the story, but I love the colour choices and the representations of Kusama's art.

WHO IS IT FOR
Kusama's fan will love this. Comics and graphic novel readers with a bent towards the biography genre might find something to chew on here.

Many thanks to Laurence King Publishing for a review copy.

Beautiful and eye-catching artwork. The personal history about a woman who I have always seen in the media but never really knew anything about. I want saw an exhibit of is artists absolutely captivated by it; I am glad that her story is being told in the medium.

"From rural Japan to international icon - Yayoi Kusama has spent her remarkable life immersed in her art.

Follow her incredible journey in this vivid graphic biography which details her bold departure from Japan as a young artist, her embrace of the buzzing New York art scene in the 1960s, and her eventual return home and rise to twenty-first-century super-fame."

I love biographic graphic novels. I adore ones about the art world and artists!

"Kusama", by Elisa Macellari, is a graphic novel exploring the life and art of contemporary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Originally published in Italian, it was translated into English by Edward Fortes.

Prior to reading this graphic novel I was not familiar with Kusama's art or life, so this was a very interesting experience. Kusama was born in the late 20's in a small town in Japan. Throughout her childhood and her young adulthood, her family opposed her painting and her love of art. In addition, it appears that they were also a dysfunctional family, with marital issues. Naturally this affected her mentally, and throughout her life her love-hate relationship with her parents affected not only her art, but also her approach to human relationships.

Apart from the tumultuous life, Kusama also dealt with the expectations that the patriarchal Japanese society at the time was setting for her. To be able to pursuit her love of art, she moved to New York City, where she became a prolific artist and got involved in political art movements against war.

The illustrations in the graphic novel depict her style very well. After finishing the graphic novel I felt compelled to research this artist more, and I was very happy to learn that she is still alive, in her 90s. A lot of artists are recognized after their death, so it is refreshing to see that Japan recognized her talent while she is still alive.

All in all, I enjoyed the experience of reading this graphic novel. I feel it could have gone a little more in depth in exploring Kusama's inspiration and her political principles. It did make me interested in researching more about her, though, so I need to give credit where credit is due. If you are a person interested in art, and the life of artists, I definitely recommend this one. It's a very quick read and a good introduction to Kusama's art and life.

I knew little of Yayoi Kusama's work apart from what is often shown on social media, so this biography in graphic novel form was a great introduction. From her early days and challenges with her family to her struggles with mental health, this covers it all. The most fascinating part for me was her work as a form of protest and how she utilized bodies in them. The art in this graphic novel is pleasing and emotionally evocative without being overly done up. All in all, this is a great intro to the artist and it whet my appetite enough that I wanted to seek out more information.

This is a delightful and playful take on making a mini biography on such a powerful artist, Yayoi Kusama. I already had a love for and some knowledge of Kusama through my own art studies but this gives you a great visual breakdown of key points in her eclectic life story. The whole book is beautifully illustrative and reflective of the Kusama and Macellari’s work. The book is clear in its a narrative but sensitive too.

I look forward to seeing the finalised book which will be a great reflective piece for me and others to be inspired by. Wonderful.

Being relatively new to the whole arena of reading and appreciating graphic novels, Kusama by Elisa Macellari has created a new and higher standard for any graphic novel I choose to read in the future. The beautiful two-toned panels (who knew turquoise blue and bright red looked so good together in a non-jarring way), the perfect font, the magical artwork, the lucidity of the story and the minute details in the book made my head go dizzy. I read this book in one sitting and when I fell in love with the book, I promptly went and watched BBC Arena’s documentary about her titled ‘Kusama Infinity’ and was blown away by Kusama’s awesomeness. The beauty of this book is that it marries the art of the artist with the art of the illustrator herself, thus making it a perfect delight to read and stare at all day.

Yayoi Kusama, popularly known for her mirror and polka dots art, is more than just another passing fad. She is an artist beyond compare, who has used her art as a channel for her mental health issues and to normalize homosexuality and also in her performance art on the streets of New York to protest against the Vietnam War. She is a brave, bold and outspoken woman who has rightfully earned her place in the art world, despite the dominance of the white-male artists whose work mainly involved an element of modernism (duh, boring). The stories behind her art and the ingenuity of the art themselves inspired many artists such as Andy Warhol (he called it inspired, she called it copying). Her contribution to the art world could be condensed into the frenzied dots of all colours and sizes on her artwork, the mesmerizing Infinity Nets and the overabundant phalluses (the subtlety with which the reason behind this is drawn in the book is brilliant) and her work involving nude artists which celebrated the human body in all its beauty. The graphic novel does justice to each of these contributions in the book and at the same time makes you love her artwork to the extent of checking her out on Google Arts and Culture, which has a disappointingly meagre collection of her famous installations. I think my most favourite one has to be the “Infinity Mirror Room – Love Forever“. The graphic novel inserts Kusama’s artwork like little Easter Eggs, ensuring that the reader has a delightful time stumbling upon the beauty of each one, one at a time.

The graphic novel also throws light on her early life in Matsumoto, Japan, her asexual relationship with an older man, her life in New York as lesser known artist, the return back to Matsumoto due to ill health and her mental health struggles. The panels are intricate, and I truly appreciated them post watching the documentary on my second read of the novel.

The only thing that saddened me was the fact that I had not come across this artist before, nor had my literary heroes ever mentioned her name when they mentioned artworks by “popular” artists during various scenes involving artwork in books. Yayoi Kusama is worthy of every bit of our celebration, and I sincerely hope that this book is one giant step towards that.

Every moment I spent reading through this graphic novel memoir of artist Yayoi Kusama felt like a dream. The color palette is limited, and yet the illustrations seemed to... grow? through the story as Kusama's world expanded. I practically felt myself falling into them, which is appropriate I think considering the scope of her actual work. The topic of mental health was addressed respectfully, showing only what Kusama herself was experiencing and feeling.
My one and only frustration with reading this was that it was a digital copy and that I WANTED the book in my hands. The images are so pigmented that I could practically smell the ink coming off of the screen, and I think a physical copy, the feel of the paper, would only add to the whole reading experience here. I see me buying myself a copy on release, and likely buying a copy for a few other choice friends!

I was provided a digital copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kusama: The Graphic Novel by Elisa Macellari is a biography on the well known Avant-garde sculptor, painter and novelist - Yayoi Kusama. So it makes sense that it's a graphical biography. I'll admit at this point that I wasn't aware of who Yayoi Kusama is before reading this novel.

Elisa Macellari through this book has fan-girled and showcased her love for the artist. The story of Yayoi's life has been beautifully illustrated and told in the simplest of ways. For those who like me are unaware of who Yayoi Kusama is, let's talk a little about the subject of this book.

Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese artist, sometimes referred to as ‘the princess of polka dots'. She moved from Japan to America in 1957. Although she makes all sorts of art – paintings, sculptures, performances and installations – they all have one thing in common: DOTS!

The novel beautifully illustrated the major events in her life which led her to where she is today. From a girl whose own mother would tear up her art work, to dealing with hallucinations (which led to her using only polka dots) throughout her life and other severe mental disorders too, Yayoi Kusama is an inspiration to many! She is bold, she is fearless and she is talented as hell.

I've always known that polka dots were a huge thing during the 70s but how did they become so popular and how did thousands of circles put together become such a huge thing? I found out through this story and I have been in complete awe of the entire concept since.

I rate this novel 4 out of 5 bookmarks. The illustrations were brilliant, a perfect ode to the illustrator's inspiration. The story telling flowed smoothly. This book is fabulous not because of how IT is, rather it's fabulous because it'll make you fall in love and be in awe of Yayoi Kusama too! But I also felt like it lacked some major descriptions about the subject too, one example is her take on pumpkins which is a major inspiration to some of her art pieces.

But I still highly recommend giving this graphic novel a read, it'll hardly take you more than one sitting and will leave you mesmerized by Kusama's journey to fame and excellence.

Presenting Yayoi Kusama's life in graphic novel form is the perfect way to tell the famous Japanese artist’s story. Having seen her work, both in Japan and in the United States, I loved getting to know more about her childhood and her drive to create art that is rooted in both Eastern and Western cultures. Elisa Macellari's art is bold and immersive, reflecting Kusama's vivid imagination, especially through the use of her famous red dots which appear in various iterations throughout the book. After breaking with her family in Japan, Kusama moves to New York, where she continues to struggle with mental health issues as she finds her artistic voice through experimentation and performance art and forges unique friendships with famous American artists. This is a vibrant, informative graphic novel that will delight art lovers and fans of Kusama's work.