Yayoi Kusama’s ‘Yellow Pumpkin’ sculpture returned to its perch on Japanese pier

The vivid “Yellow Pumpkin” sculpture created by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama has been returned to its perch on the Japanese island of Naoshima, ArtReview reported.

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The yellow and black sculpture was restored on Tuesday to its original setting, at the edge of an old pier on Naoshima, located on the Seto Inland Sea, according to the art news organization.

The sculpture, which is 6.5 feet tall and more than 8 feet wide, is made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic. It was swept into the sea and broken into three pieces when a typhoon raked the island on Aug. 9, 2021, CNN reported.

Local residents, students and officials gathered to celebrate the return of island’s trademark sculpture, where it had stood since 1994, according to the cable news outlet.

“Since (the pumpkin) was a symbol of Naoshima, it is great to see the same artwork installed again at the same spot. We are happy to share the joy with residents in Naoshima,” Kaori Stenlund, a spokesperson from Benesse Holdings, the company that manages the sculpture and the rest of the island’s art offerings, told CNN.

A version of the sculpture is housed until Nov. 27 at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C.

The artist’s production team started working on a new pumpkin for the Japanese island earlier this spring and made the sculpture’s outer shell 10% thicker than the original so it could withstand strong waves and wind, according to CNN. A hook was also embedded into its stem so it could be dragged to safety if another typhoon hits the area.

Kusama, a native of Japan, is 93.

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