Elisa Macellari

Kusama by Elisa Macellari is a unique non-fiction graphic novel following an artistic woman and her life.

This was truly mesmerizing with an intriguing story and beautiful illustrations. The art style is unique and stands out, with bright colours yet simplistic styles. All the while looking complicated, which is an art all in itself.

I really liked seeing a non-fiction story about a woman hanging around in the graphic novels section. It showcased a really important story. I had never heard of Yayoi Kusama, and now I'm quite glad I did. It's something beautiful to look into. And, my goodness, she's 91 years old! How impressive! She was a strong advocator for mental health and her art was apart of her escape.

Three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Laurence King Publishing for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.… (more)

* I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book. *

A graphic novel about the life of a contemporary artist seems a very fitting way to tell that story. I have reviewed another in this series, about Jackson Pollock, and found it interesting and informative. Yayoi Kusama is an artist that I am minimally acquainted with compared to Pollock, and this story was an excellent introduction to her life and work.

Macellari has an obvious enthusiasm for her subject and for Kusama's work, and gives us an unblinking account of the artist, including the mental health issues that drive Kusama's creative impulses, something which the artist has always been open about. After reading this I researched Kusama a little, and found that she is still producing art well into her nineties, a staggeringly long career for somebody who has managed to stay at the cutting edge of the art world for nearly 50 years. I thought this was a very worthwhile read and an enlightening introduction to an artist I was not aware of before.… (more)