Artist Yayoi Kusama was born on March 22, 1929, in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. She began painting polka dots and net patterns at age 10, and was selected for the First All-Shinshu Art Exhibition at age 16. After graduating from Matsumoto Girls' High School, she studied Japanese painting at the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and Crafts. She held a solo exhibition in her hometown in 1952, and four solo exhibitions in Tokyo from 1954 to 1957. After art critic Shuzo Takiguchi introduced her to the 18th International Watercolor Biennale in New York, she traveled to the United States in 1957. She created paintings, sculptures, and three-dimensional works in which she affixed phallic-shaped objects to prefabricated objects. She also engaged in radical performances such as body painting, fashion shows, and anti-war protests. She became known as the "Queen of the Avant-Garde." Her 1968 film, "Kusama's Self-Annihilation," which she wrote and performed herself, was highly praised at numerous international film festivals. After the death of her partner Joseph Cornell in 1973, she fell ill and returned to Japan. In 1978, she published her debut novel, "Manhattan Suicide Attempter," and in 1983, she won the 10th Yasei Jidai Newcomer Award for her novel, "Christopher's Brothel." In 1993, she represented Japan at the Venice Biennale, and in 2002 she received the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, and in 2009 she was awarded the Person of Cultural Merit. In 2012, she collaborated with Louis Vuitton, presenting approximately 80 pieces, including bags and accessories covered in polka dots. At the Ehime art festival, Dogo Onsen Art 2014, which will be held from April 10 to December 31, 2014, she will be showcasing hotel rooms and cafes decorated with polka dot works.