Not in time eternal but in the present that transpires…Tear down the gate of hallucinations, amidst the agony of flowers, the present never ends… - Yayoi Kusama

Yayoi Kusama experienced a setback in the late 1972 when her lover, the American surrealist artist Joseph Cornell, passed away. Her old mental health issues resurfaced, and she left the noisy New York art scene to briefly return to Japan for rest and recuperation. Despite the recurrent illness, the physical limitations on her freedom of movement, and the loneliness of sleepless nights, Yayoi Kusama found that her nightmares nourished her creative energy. The mysterious atmosphere of "self-obliteration" shrouded her artistic style during this period. The more closed environment of the sanatorium encouraged her to shift her creative focus towards watercolors, collages, small-scale ceramics, and bronze sculptures. She also continued to document her personal life experiences and began writing poetry.

In 1974, which marked Yayoi Kusama's second year of recovery in Japan, the Civic Center Museum in Philadelphia held the exhibition "Woman's Work: American Art 1974" in April. This exhibition featured the works of eighty artists, including Yayoi Kusama, Lee Krasner, Judith Bernstein, and others, showcasing a total of 150 pieces of art. This exhibition was not only a significant milestone in contemporary female artist’s history but also highlighted Yayoi Kusama's status as a prominent artist in the contemporary and avant-garde American art scene at that time. However, in the same year, in June, Yayoi Kusama's father passed away. Just as she was achieving recognition and success in the eyes of the world, she once again experienced the loss of a close family member. Her emotions fluctuated like the changing seasons, and the passage of life's moments, while sweet in many ways, always seemed to carry a hint of bitterness.

"Strawberry No. 2" (sold as a set), represents a limited edition of thirty bronze sculptures created by the artist in 1974. During this year, Kusama faced physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges, yet she continued to create, driven by the energy of life. Generally, Kusama's three-dimensional works are less numerous than her paintings, making limited sculptures like these quite rare. While her soft sculptures of "High Heels" from the 1960s in New York are well-known, her three-dimensional works from the 1970s, particularly the 1974 "Strawberry" bronze sculptures, hold great significance and predate the popular pumpkin series from the 1980s.

The "Strawberry" series of bronze sculptures feature a vibrant and irregular surface, reminiscent of the color of coral, with hand-pierced holes scattered throughout. It's evident that the artist has translated her signature infinite dots into three-dimensional works. The result is akin to dehydrated strawberries over time, with the top resembling either powdered sugar or a snowy-capped Mount Fuji, depending on the viewer's interpretation.

The artist's choice of title accurately indicates that the inspiration for the creation comes from fruit, but her approach involves a reverse mimicry of the appearance. She boldly breaks away from the sweet and fragile image of strawberries by using rigid metal materials, cone-like shapes, and an endless proliferation of vine-like forms to express the self-representative feature of "infinite dots/holes."

Just as Yayoi Kusama responds to the challenges of her own life, facing external setbacks and the suddenness of death, she can embrace it all and transform these challenges into the fruits of art. Like an ever-burning flame of love, she warms and illuminates the dark corners of people's hearts with her art.