Yayoi Kusama Art Editions Phone for iida

If you go to the Sanrio Hello Kitty store in New York City’s Times Square at any given point in the day it will inevitably be mobbed by tourists- all hoping to grab a piece of Japanese pop kitsch. The reason for it’s popularity is that Americans crave the novelty and inventiveness of Japanese pop-design, and the Japanese are covetous of America’s neon-and- cowboy consumer past. It’s because of this symbiosis that mobile phone company iida has been able to successfully launch a new collaboration with avant- guard artist Yatoi Kusama that’s not just popular in Japan, but is also desirable on this side of the Pacific- some might say for the sheer exotic-ness of the design and less it’s functionality.

According to the iida website, the  new Yayoi Kusama Art Editions phone is a

work of art that captures both the imagination of art and the wonder of life, and…attempts to transform the mobile phone into a “work of art” that can be“worn” all the time…

Kusama has long created unique artworks with polka dot motifs and intense colors that dazzle her patrons. She has an established audience all over the world for her numerous artworks which defy particular genres, such as sculptures, paintings, and even novels. After many obstacles were overcome during the creative process and an unimaginable amount of time and effort were spent (for an ordinary mobile phone), Kusama’s three artworks—based on originals with a mobile phone theme—were finally commercialized. By using intricate handwork and high-level print techniques rarely used before, Kusama realized a mobile phone that possesses the quality and presence of an “artwork.”

Some of the designs Kusama has created for iida include such whimsical names as “Dots Obsession”, Full Happiness With Dots”, “My Doggie Ring-Ring”, and “Handbag for Space Travel.” The phones can be purchased at the iida website and according to one calculation could cost upwards of $1,000 USD. While the practicality of these products is up for debate, it would be refreshing to see more people speaking into a polka dotted dog on the train than the usual iphone and flip-top mobile.