Yayoi Kusama

Fellows' upcoming Designer Collection auction on Monday 15th July has another stunning Yayoi Kusama handbag up for auction. Furthermore, a limited edition Yayoi Kusama Monogram Dots cotton scarf is also going under the hammer. Fellows sold a Louis Vuttion Yayoi Kusama Neverfull bag in January, which broke a house record, selling for a full price of £2,041.60 including fees. The two lots in our in our upcoming Designer Collection are: Lot 288: LOUIS VUITTON - a limited edition Yayoi Kusama Monogram Dots cotton scarf. Designed with the maker's monogram printed pattern throughout with a border of tapered red dots. Measuring 55 by 55cms. £150-£200 Lot 214: LOUIS VUITTON - a limited edition Yayoi Kusama Red Town Speedy 30 handbag. Designed in collaboration with artist Yayoi Kusama, with the maker's monogram coated canvas exterior featuring an overlay of red dots throughout, with vachetta tan leather piping and dual rolled handles, top zip fastening and a brown canvas lined interior and one inner slip pocket. Measuring 17 by 20 by 30cms. With maker's dust bag. £800-£1200 A limited edition Yayoi Kusama Red Town Speedy 30 handbag Annaliese Foster, Costume Jewellery Specialist at Fellows Auctioneers, has explained the significance of Yayoi Kusama and why these kinds of handbags are so sought-after. Yayoi Kusama was born in 1929, in Japan. She is a Japanese contemporary artist primarily creating sculpture and installations, however she also works on paintings, performance art, fashion and more. Her work is based on the feelings and sensations when contemplating the themes of space, time and infinity by using repetitive patterns such as her ‘Infinity Nets’ and dense polka dots to an obsessive level which she calls "self-obliteration", creating dizzying affects to the viewers. Yayoi Kusama’s art was ignited by living her childhood through World War II, making the plunge to move to New York to pursue modern art, she quickly became a leading force in her field, showing the way through Minimalism and Pop Art, even inspiring Andy Warhol. Yayoi Kusama explains that these patterns are drawn from her hallucinations, which she has described as "flashes of light, auras, or dense fields of dots". Her art is her therapy, her life, there is no separation between the two. She worked on her collaboration for Louis Vuitton to create a line of handbags with Marc Jacobs in 2011, who she feels "his sincere attitude toward art" is the same as her own. The collection included an extensive range of handbags, shoes, dresses, scarves and accessories. Yayoi Kusama is known in the art world for her obsession with dots. Artistic Director Marc Jacobs approached Kusama to design a limited edition collection for Louis Vuitton that interprets the emblematic and unforgettable works for Kusama. From the second installation of the Yayoi Kusama line, the Speedy Town is covered in particularly striking dots. This line is very hard to find and sold out in most stores; the Yayoi Kusama collection has been selling for well above retail after market. Retail price was $1220. Annaliese Foster, Costume Jewellery Specialist at Fellows Auctioneers.