KAWS

KAWS (American, b. 1974)

Sold as a set of 4.

From a sold-out edition of an unknown size.

A well-received work and variation of KAWS’ larger FAMILY sculpture, this highly collectible KAWS Companion set was published on the occasion of KAWS’ first large-scale Japanese museum exhibition, KAWS: TOKYO FIRST, at The Mori Art Museum Japan. In FAMILY, KAWS combines elements from his well-known BFF & Chum Companions to poignantly explore the intricacies of modern-day family life. A well-sized KAWS Companion piece that is sure to stand out in any setting.

KAWS is an American graffiti artist and designer known for his toys, paintings and prints. Born Brian Donnelly on November 4, 1974 in Jersey City, NJ, KAWS graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York and went on to work in animation. “When your whole art is based on the lettering you choose, you kinda figure out what ones work together. I just liked the shapes of the k, a, w, s,” he explained of his moniker. Having started as a graffiti artist in New York in the early 1990s, KAWS began reworking advertisements in his distinctive style. Pop Art and culture permeate his cartoonish Companion series of figurines, which bear a resemblance to the works of Takashi Murakami. KAWS worked together with Nike and has done multiple collaborations with the clothing brand Uniqlo, continuing to blur the boundaries between fine and commercial art. The artist is also known for his large-scale public installations, such as 2019’s KAWS: Holiday which was installed in the Hong Kong harbor during Basel Hong Kong. In 2019, THE KAWS ALBUM (2005) sold at auction for a record $14.8 million, breaking his previous record of $2.7 million which was set in 2018. Today, his work can be found in the collections at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and the Rosenblum Collection in Paris. KAWS currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

Stamped on the underside of each foot