Aug. 27 (UPI) — Avant-garde Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, best known for her colorful polka-dot works and elaborate installations, has died, her company said. She was 97.

Kusama died Aug. 14 at a Tokyo hospital, Yayoi Kusama Inc. said Thursday in a statement.

“We will carry forward Kusama’s wishes and, through art, continue to bring hope and strength for the future to people around the world,” it said.

According to the statement, “she continued to paint until her final days, never setting aside her brush, and continued exploration of forever love and eternal soul.”

Born in central Japan’s Matsumoto City, Kusama suffered from visions and hallucinations that inspired her first polka-dot and net-themed drawings, developing at a young age the unique style for which she would become known, her official biography states.

At 28 years of age, Kusama moved to the United States in 1957, and began exhibiting her work a year later, while living in New York City. She lived in the United States until 1973, during which time she gained rapid success and international acclaim.

After returning to her native Japan, she resumed writing, specifically fiction and poetry, and created sculptures and her famous “Infinity Mirror Room” series that has gone on to inspire numerous artists, whose influence can be seen throughout the world.

The National Art Center, Tokyo, was among the first to offer its condolences, saying it was “deeply saddened” to learn of Kusama’s death.

The center, which is Japan’s largest arts exhibition center, called Kusama a “pioneering artist” who has had “a profound impact” on the art world.

“As we reflect on [the] artist’s boundless creative spirit and extraordinary achievements, we offer our sincere prayers for her peaceful repose and honor her enduring legacy,” it said in a statement.