Yayoi Kusama
Tender are the stairs to heaven 2004
mixed media
height 430cm, diameter 120cm
Installation view at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
Courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney
A highlight of the year is the annual fundraising dinner where our supporters, artists and friends gather to party, and in turn, raise funds to support the purchase of a particular work of art. This year's focus is a work by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, Tender are the stairs to heaven, 2004.
Yayoi Kusama was born in 1929 and has been exhibiting her work for six decades. She is one of the most acclaimed and popularly known living Japanese artists. Over the course of her career she has established a widespread international audience for her work. Kusama represented Japan at the Venice Biennale in 1966 and 1993, a testament to the enduring relevance of her practice.
Tender are the stairs to heaven is the major work from Kusama's most recent exhibition. It is a mesmerising floor–to–ceiling ladder made of fibre–optic light cable which is reflected in the mirrors at both ends. As a result it appears to rise from a depthless space below the floor and continue its ascent into infinity.
