Pumpkin (GT)
Medium: Screen-print in colors on Verin d’Arches paper
[3 screens, 2 colors, 3 runs]
Year: 1996
Image: 29.8 x 22.8 cm (11.7 x 9 inches)
Sheet: 40 x 32.5 cm (15.7 x 12.8 inches)
Edition: 120
Artist’s Proofs: 12 AP
Printer’s Proofs: 5 PP
Printer: Okabe Tokuzo, Tokyo
Literature: ABE 229
ABE Publishing Ltd., Yayoi Kusama: Prints 1979-2017, Tokyo, 2017, Number 229, page 138
Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil on lower edge
Pumpkin (GT) presents a striking chromatic variation within Yayoi Kusama’s established pumpkin iconography. The composition remains frontal and centered, with the pumpkin occupying the majority of the pictorial space, yet the palette shifts decisively toward a deep, saturated green set against a black ground. The surface of the pumpkin is structured through vertical ribs composed of densely arranged black polka dots, carefully calibrated in scale to suggest volume and curvature. Technically, the print exemplifies Kusama’s disciplined approach to graphic production during the mid-1990s. The dot patterns are precise and consistent, reinforcing a sense of order and control, while the green hue, less common than her emblematic yellow, introduces a cooler, more introspective tone. The background is filled with an irregular, net-like pattern in green lines, creating a visual field that both frames and destabilizes the central form.
Conceptually, the pumpkin continues to function as a stabilizing motif within Kusama’s universe: familiar, grounded, and reassuring. At the same time, the repetition of dots and the surrounding network evoke her broader exploration of infinity, accumulation, and psychological containment. The green colorway subtly alters the reading of the image, shifting it away from warmth and playfulness toward something more restrained and contemplative, while remaining firmly within her symbolic system.
Produced in 1996, this print reflects a moment when Kusama had fully codified the pumpkin as a signature image and was actively exploring variations in color and pattern rather than form. The result is a work that feels immediately recognizable, yet distinct, demonstrating how controlled changes in palette and surface treatment can significantly affect the emotional register of an otherwise stable and iconic composition.
K Auction Seoul: 22 December 2021
Estimated: KRW 40,000,000 – 80,000,000
KRW 66,000,000 (Hammer)
KRW 75,900,000 / USD 63,715
AUCTION RECORD FOR PUMPKIN (GT)
YAYOI KUSAMA
Pumpkin (GT), 1996
Screenprint
Signed, titled, dated and numbered 71/120 on the front
Auction Results
Seoul Auction: 19 November 2024
Estimated: KRW 45,000,000 – 80,000,000
KRW 40,000,000 (Hammer)
KRW 47,200,000 / USD 33,935
YAYOI KUSAMA
Pumpkin (GT), 1996
Screenprint
Signed, titled, dated and numbered on the recto
Printer’s Proof
One of 5 printer’s proofs, aside from the edition of 120 and 12 artist’s proofs
SBI Art Auction: 25 October 2024
Estimated: JPY 2,500,000 – 3,500,000
JPY 3,910,000 / USD 25,670
YAYOI KUSAMA
Pumpkin (GT) (Kusama 229), 1996
Screenprint
Signed, titled and numbered
From the edition of 120
Mainichi Auction: 1 October 2023
Estimated: JPY 3,000,000 – 4,000,000
JPY 5,750,000 / USD 38,485
YAYOI KUSAMA
Pumpkin (GT), 1996
Screenprint
Signed
From the edition of 120
Seoul Auction: 29 August 2023
Estimated: KRW 50,000,000 – 80,000,000
KRW 45,000,000 (Hammer)
KRW 53,100,000 / USD 40,090
YAYOI KUSAMA
Pumpkin (GT), 1996
Screenprint
Signed
Edition: 88/120
K Auction: 28 June 2023
Estimated: KRW 50,000,000 – 100,000,000
KRW 58,250,000 / USD 44,467
YAYOI KUSAMA
Pumpkin (GT), 1996
Screen-print
Signed, titled, dated and numbered on the front
Mainichi Auction: 9 June 2023
Estimated: JPY 3,000,000 – 5,000,000
JPY 5,520,000 / USD 39,610
YAYOI KUSAMA
Pumpkin (GT), 1996
Screenprint
Signed
From the edition of 120
K Auction Seoul: 29 March 2023
Estimated: KRW 60,000,000 – 100,000,000
KRW 62,000,000 (Hammer)
KRW 71,300,000 / USD 54,970
YAYOI KUSAMA
Pumpkin (GT), 1996
Screenprint
Signed, titled, dated and numbered 42/120 on the front
SBI Art Auction: 16 April 2022
Estimated: JPY 2,000,000 – 3,000,000
JPY 6,900,000 / USD 54,620
YAYOI KUSAMA
Pumpkin (GT) (Kusama 229), 1996
Screenprint
Signed, titled, dated and numbered
From the edition of 120
Mainichi Auction: 18 March 2022
Estimated: JPY 2,000,000 – 3,000,000
JPY 5,400,000 (Hammer)
JPY 6,291,000 / USD 52,775
YAYOI KUSAMA
Pumpkin (GT), 1996
Screenprint
Signed
From the edition of 120
K Auction Seoul: 22 December 2021
Estimated: KRW 40,000,000 – 80,000,000
KRW 66,000,000 (Hammer)
KRW 75,900,000 / USD 63,715
AUCTION RECORD FOR PUMPKIN (GT)
YAYOI KUSAMA
Pumpkin (GT), 1996
Screenprint
Signed, titled, dated and numbered 71/120 on the front
K Auction Seoul: 24 November 2021
Estimated: KRW 40,000,000 – 80,000,000
KRW 54,000,000 (Hammer)
KRW 62,100,000 / USD 52,265
YAYOI KUSAMA
Pumpkin (GT), 1996
Screenprint
Signed, titled, dated and numbered 48/120 on the front
Mainichi Auction: 30 October 2021
Estimated: JPY 2,000,000 – 3,000,000
JPY 5,400,000 (Hammer)
JPY 6,291,000 / USD 55,200
YAYOI KUSAMA
Pumpkin (GT), 1996
Screenprint
Signed
From the edition of 120
Mainichi Auction: 9 May 2020
Estimated: JPY 1,000,000 – 1,500,000
JPY 2,100,000 (Hammer)
JPY 2,446,500 / USD 22,945
YAYOI KUSAMA
Pumpkin (GT), 1996
Screenprint
Signed
From the edition of 120
Mainichi Auction: 25 January 2020
Estimated: JPY 2,000,000 – 2,500,000
JPY 2,200,000 (Hammer)
JPY 2,563,000 / USD 23,450
YAYOI KUSAMA
Pumpkin (GT), 1996
Screenprint
Signed
From the edition of 120
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 29 March 2019
Estimated: HKD 100,000 – 200,000
HKD 275,000 / USD 35,030
YAYOI KUSAMA (JAPAN, B. 1929)
Pumpkin (GT), 1996
Screen-print
Numbered, dated and signed ’41/120 1996 yayoi Kusama’, titled in Japanese (lower edge)