Yoko Ono: One Woman Show: 1960–1971

12 / 19

Yoko Ono. A Box of Smile. 1984

Engraved plastic box, containing mirror, overall (closed): 2 3/8 x 2 1/8 x 2 1/8" (6 x 5.4 x 5.4 cm). The Gilbert and Lila Silverman Fluxus Collection Gift

Yoko Ono: I just wanted to have a box that people can look into, and when they're sad and angry and all that, to see how it looks smiling.

When John passed away and I was feeling so drab about it, and I looked at the mirror and I looked horrible. So I said, "This is not going to work, you know." So really put myself into smiling, and it didn't work in the beginning. But gradually it worked, and my whole body was smiling. I mean, it took like a month or two to get to that point. And so I created something that worked for me, afterwards.