Spot me

Brown and white spotty bag from Redcurrent. Photo / NZ Herald

Who knew polka dots could be so surreal? Stepping into an ultra-violet lit makeshift living room where everything, from the walls to the paintings on the walls, from the sofa to the television to the dinner set on the dining table, is covered in 150,000 glowing neon dots is, to put it eloquently, freaky. You leave still seeing spots and feeling like you just had some sort of out-of-body, hallucinatory experience; it is incredible.

That spotted room was a special installation that was part of the Yayoi Kusama exhibition at Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art, which featured seminal works from the Japanese avant-garde artist. The exhibition is set to open in New Zealand at the City Gallery in Wellington on September 27, with an installation created especially for the gallery. Expect to see lots of spots and repetitive patterns - Kusama is obsessed with dots.

Nicknamed the "polka dot princess", Kusama has described herself as an "obsessive artist", one who is endlessly fascinated by repetition and pattern. The internationally acclaimed artist, who chooses to live in an institution in Japan, attributes her interest in pattern to the hallucinations and visions of dots, flowers and nets that she experienced as a child. Other works feature more of her beloved polka dots, from her large, black and white Infinity Net paintings to her Infinity mirror room - Phalli's Field which features a floor of red and white spotted sculptural forms and reflective mirrored walls.

At a more domestic, everyday level, bringing polka dots into your home or wardrobe is easy, and less about arty hallucinations and more about a quirky, retro and playful style. Think Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman wearing that brown and white polka dot dress and British band The Pipettes in their matching retro-style spotted print dresses. Or, um, Minnie Mouse.

And while dots may not be as classic as the humble stripe, there is something enduring about its playful charm. Just remember the apparent fashion rule: never wear polka dots bigger than your head. Best to keep the oversized polka dots for homeware.