Imagine stepping into a dark room, lit only by hundreds of small lights, sparkling like stars on a clear night, all around you on the floor, the walls, and the ceiling are mirrors.

They make it feel like you're looking into a kaleidoscope,

your reflection repeating again and again and again in the twinkling pattern of lights.

It's almost like staring into outer space.

For a moment, it's overwhelming.

But it's not scary.

It's a feeling of joy, of togetherness.

You feel like a single particle among billions,

a part of something bigger than yourself.

How do you discover this feeling, and how do you create it for someone else?

This is the work of artist Yayoi Kusama, and this is Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls,

a fairy tale podcast about the real-life rebel women who inspire us.

On this episode, Yayae Kusama, world-famous painter, sculptor, designer, and pioneer of pop art.

Yayoi Kusama was born in the mountains of rural Japan in the spring of 1929.

Yayoi grew up on her parent seed farm where they grew flowers.

As a child, Yaya was fascinated by nature, from the vegetables and flowers growing in the fields to the white stones in the riverbed nearby.

When Yayoi was 10 years old, something strange happened.

She was sitting in her family's field of violets when suddenly the deep purple petals morphed into faces.

Then the flower faces started to speak to her.

Both fascinated and frightened, Yaii ran home.

She didn't understand what was happening and had no words to describe it.

So she did the only thing that made sense to her.

...