West Kowloon arts hub chief Bernard Chan and AllRightsReserved founder Lam Shu-kam among those expressing sadness at Japanese artist’s death
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenCannix YauPublished: 9:06pm, 27 Aug 2026Hong Kong fans and cultural figures have paid tribute to Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama following her death at 97, saying her legacy will inspire generations to come.Among those expressing sadness on Thursday were West Kowloon Cultural District Authority board chairman Bernard Chan and local design studio AllRightsReserved. Adrian Cheng Chi-kong, former CEO of developer New World Development, shared a photo of himself with Kusama taken in Japan in 2022.
Kusama, known for her signature polka dots and pumpkin sculptures, died on August 14 at a hospital in Tokyo from multiple organ failure. Her studio and Tokyo’s Yayoi Kusama Museum confirmed the news on Thursday.
Chan said the West Kowloon art hub’s M+ museum had been honoured to host the “Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now” exhibition, which ran from November 2022 to May 2023.
01:37Yayoi Kusama, Japanese artist famous for pumpkins and polka dots, dies aged 97“A moment I will treasure forever was travelling to Tokyo in March 2023, to thank her in person,” Chan said in a social media post.
