120,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

We're Moving! 🚚 We’ll be closed Fri, Sat & Sun. Open and Shipping again on Monday 🚀

Kusama

Polka Dot Queen
Series: Art Masters
3.76 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 25 ratings, 4 reviews)
Brief Description
“The only method I have found that relieves my illness is to keep creating art. I followed the thread of art and somehow discovered a path that would allow me to live.” From her days in 1960s New York as a proponent of free love and... Read More
Format: Hardback
$3499
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

A vivid portrayal of the life of Yayoi Kusama – Queen of Polka Dots, creator of infinity – from her unusual childhood to international artistic acclaim.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

“The only method I have found that relieves my illness is to keep creating art. I followed the thread of art and somehow discovered a path that would allow me to live.”

From her days in 1960s New York as a proponent of free love and peace to her current position as the internationally recognised Queen of Polka Dots and creator of infinity, Yayoi Kusama’s life is an extraordinary story of triumph over struggle through art. This graphic novel vividly portrays Kusama’s unusual youth and family troubles, her discovery of a new style of painting, her struggles with mental illness, and her rise to international art stardom.

For those seeking an introduction to this incredible artist or searching for a fresh take on her story – this is Yayoi Kusama’s life as you’ve never seen it before in Kusama by Simon Elliott.

Series: Art Masters

View all
  • Dali
    Genius, eccentric, exhibitionist: There is no shortage of adjectives to describe the great surrealist painter Salvador Dalí (1904-1989). Yet this iconic artist and controversial thinker remains a figure shrouded in mystery. Plunging into the Spanish painter's unbridled, fantastical universe, graphic novelist Edmond Baudoin takes us on the trail of a man known as much for his talent for self-promotion as...
    Paperback
    $3500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Armed With Madness
    Reluctant muse and feminist champion – heiress, rebel, refugee – and perhaps the last of the great Surrealist artists: Leonora Carrington played many roles in her long and extraordinary life. Exchanging her privileged upbringing in pre-war England for the more exciting elite of Paris's 1930s avant-garde, she comes to rub shoulders (and more) with the likes of Pablo Picasso, Man...
    Hardback
    $4500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Frida Kahlo
    Frida Kahlo, remembered as one of the most inspiring personalities of the 20th century, was a woman of two intertwined parts: she was both a charismatic and empowered artist exploring themes of resistance, authenticity, cruelty, and suffering, and a more private person whose wounded body caused her a lifetime of pain that underpinned the many successes and disappointments that marked...
    Hardback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Kusama
    “The only method I have found that relieves my illness is to keep creating art. I followed the thread of art and somehow discovered a path that would allow me to live.” From her days in 1960s New York as a proponent of free love and peace to her current position as the internationally recognised Queen of Polka Dots and...
    Hardback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Andy: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol
    From the thirty-two canvas CAMPBELL'S SOUP CANS to the MARILYN DIPTYCH, Andy Warhol's silk-screen prints are the epitome of Pop Art: witty, gimmicky, and unafraid of repetition. Obsessed with consumerism and the cult of celebrity, Warhol exalted the "surface of things" - and yet, he was a man of deep complexity. In Andy, Typex captures the remarkable life of the...
    By Typex
    Paperback
    $5500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Pablo
    This award-winning graphic biography of Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) captures the prolific and eventful life of one of the world's best-loved artists. Pablo explores Picasso's early life among the bohemians of Montmartre, his turbulent relationship with artist/model Fernande Olivier, and how his art developed through friendships with poets Max Jacob and Guillaume Apollinaire, the painter Georges Braque, and his great rival...
    Paperback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Vincent
    This graphic biography documents the brief and intense period of creativity Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) spent in Arles, Provence, in southern France. Here van Gogh dreams of setting up an artists' studio - a haven where he and his friends can paint together. But attacks of mental illness leave the painter confused and disoriented. When his friend and fellow artist...
    Paperback
    $3500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781914224300

Publisher: SelfMadeHero

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 10 April 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: SelfMadeHero

Illustration: Full Colour Illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 170.0mm

Height: 240.0mm

Weight: 300g

Pages: 144

About the Author

Simon Elliott is a criminal barrister, art obsessive and stand-up comedian. Inspired by Hockney’s message in 2021 that “spring cannot be cancelled”, Simon put his lockdown to good use by engrossing himself in all things Hockney, learning how to paint on an iPad, and creating his first graphic novel – Hockney: A Graphic Life (Frances Lincoln, 2023), which was published with Mr Hockney’s blessing. His other works include Vincent: A Graphic Biography (August 2024), and Kusama: Polka Dot Queen (SelfMadeHero, 2025).

Also by Simon Elliott

View all
  • Hockney
    Follow the journey of David Hockney's exceptional life in a unique graphic novel format. From his childhood in Bradford and early years making it as an artist, to his sun-drenched Los Angeles period, his triumphal return to the UK and his recent iPad drawings that proudly exclaim that spring cannot be cancelled, this charming biography traces the captivating life and...
    Hardback
    $4500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Vincent: A Graphic Biography
    I know for sure that I have an instinct for colour, and painting is in the very marrow of my bones. The life of Van Gogh has gone down in legend as the archetypal artist's existence. He was irascible and short-tempered, hugely passionate and emotional, absurdly talented and, for most of his lifetime, notoriously misunderstood and under-appreciated. And yet today,...
    Hardback
    $4500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from Graphic Novels

View all
  • New Release
    Heartstopper Volume 6
    Read it before you see it: Heartstopper Forever movie coming soon from Netflix Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. The final installment in the bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel series about life, love, and everything that happens in between. Everyone in school knows Nick and Charlie. Everyone knows they're going to be togetherforever. But Charlie's busy with...
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Lightfall: A Place Between
    In the fourth installment of the award-winning, critically acclaimed Lightfall series, Bea, Cad, and their friends continue their quest to restore light on their dark world. Perfect for fans of Amulet and Avatar, this next book dives deeper into the magical world of Irpa, where ancient secrets and adventures abound.After surviving a shipwreck on the Fuerre Sea, Cad washes ashore on...
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2699
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • One Piece Box Set 1: East Blue and Baroque Works
    A premium box set of the first two story arcs of One Piece, one of the most beloved and bestselling manga series of all time! As a child, Monkey D. Luffy dreamed of becoming King of the Pirates. His life took a dramatic turn when he accidentally consumed the Gum-Gum Fruit, an enchanted Devil Fruit that granted him the incredible...
    Paperback
    $31500
    Elsewhere:
    $41000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Warriors Graphic Novel: The Prophecies Begin #1
    An instant New York Times bestseller! With more than 40 million copies sold, Erin Hunter's Warriors series has taken the world by storm and is now available in a full-colour graphic novel adaptation. The first book covers the first two original novels in The Prophecies Begin: Into the Wild and Fire and Ice. A perfect introduction to the world of...
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • My Hero Academia Box Set 1
    Midoriya inherits the superpower of the world’s greatest hero, but greatness won’t come easy. Collect the first 20 volumes of the bestselling My Hero Academia manga in this heroic box set! Also includes a full-colour double-sided poster and an exclusive 48-page booklet featuring the never-before-seen bonus illustrations and author commentary printed on volume 1–20’s book covers in Japan!
    Paperback
    $25900
    Elsewhere:
    $35500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Fourth Wing The Graphic Novel: Volume One
    Pre-order
    Fourth Wing The Graphic Novel: Volume One
    The first volume of a stunning graphic novel edition of the no. 1 Sunday Times phenomenon, Fourth Wing, adapted by Rebecca Yarros herself!   This deluxe hardcover edition features a shimmering metallic, foil-stamped cover design, plus an exclusive art print of Violet and Xaden's first kiss, packaged in a stylish slipcase.  Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders as...
    Slipcase Hardback
    $11000
    Elsewhere:
    $12000
    Pre-order
    Out 6 Apr 2027
  • One Piece (Omnibus Edition), Vol. 1
    One Piece (Omnibus Edition), Vol. 1 by Eiichiro Oda invites readers on an exhilarating journey across the vast and treacherous oceans. Follow the ambitious young pirate, Monkey D. Luffy, and his eclectic crew as they embark on an epic quest to uncover the legendary treasure known as the One Piece, a prize that will crown its possessor as the King...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2899
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat
    In this hilarious full-colour graphic novel, Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat by Li Chen, readers are introduced to Cat Town's best kitten detective on a new and exciting adventure. When Detective Beans realises his favourite hat has gone missing, he quickly jumps into action to crack the case. Armed with his wit, determination, and a love...
    By Li Chen
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2200
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • One Piece Box Set 2: Skypiea and Water Seven
    One Piece Box Set 2: Skypiea and Water Seven by Eiichiro Oda is a magnificent collection that continues the epic adventure of Monkey D. Luffy and his diverse and dynamic crew as they strive to reach the pinnacle of pirate greatness. This premium box set, a must-have for any manga enthusiast, includes volumes 24-46 and seamlessly transitions readers through the...
    Paperback
    $32900
    Elsewhere:
    $41000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • MrBallen Presents: Where Nightmares Live
    From the New York Times bestselling author and creator of the hit MrBallen Podcast and YouTube channel comes a vividly illustrated graphic novel featuring nine spine-chilling stories, based on real events, of the horror that lurks within the unknown. In MrBallen Presents: Where Nightmares Live, John Allen, known popularly as MrBallen, returns with another heart-stopping collection of strange and mysterious...
    Hardback
    $4400
    Elsewhere:
    $5500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Wings of Fire the Graphic Novel - The First Seven Books
    Not every dragonet wants a destiny . . . Clay has grown up under the mountain, chosen along with four other dragonets to fulfill a mysterious prophecy and end the war between the dragon tribes of Pyrrhia. He's not so sure about the prophecy part, but Clay can't imagine not living with the other dragonets; they're his best friends. So...
    Paperback
    $9000
    Elsewhere:
    $11000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 1
    Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 1 by Gege Akutami introduces readers to the gripping world of jujutsu sorcery and supernatural battles. This first volume sets the stage for an explosive adventure that intertwines the fate of humans and cursed spirits. In a world where cursed spirits, malevolent entities born from human negative emotions, prey on the unsuspecting, fragments of the legendary demon...
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2099
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.