Stuff It!

Yayoi Kusama called this sculpture Accumulation, because of the many hand-sewn, pillowy shapes that cover this chair. There’s something strange about seeing an ordinary piece of furniture treated in this way. Kusama has covered the surfaces of clothing, boats—even entire rooms—with these forms! By transforming this piece of furniture, Kusama has changed how it is seen and used...or not used. Do you think these shapes might be hard or soft? How can you tell? Would you sit in this chair if it was in your home? Why or why not?

Find a picture of a space or an object and use a marker or Sharpie to cover it with one type of mark. For example, dots, circles, squares, stripes, squiggles, dashes, or short wavy lines. When you’ve finished, take a look at your drawing. How have you changed the object or space that you picked?

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An ivory armchair engulfed in soft globular shapes.
An ivory armchair engulfed in soft globular shapes.

Yayoi Kusama, Accumulation, c. 1963. Sewn and stuffed fabric, wood chair frame, paint, overall: 34 5/16 × 38 15/16 × 36 5/16 in. (87.2 × 98.9 × 92.2 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase 2001.342

On the Hour

A 30-second online art project:
Maya Man, A Realistic Day In My Life Living In New York City

Learn more about this project

Learn more at whitney.org/artport

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