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What does KAWS’s art mean?
1 Answer
What KAWS’s art means is open to interpretation. In the late 1990s, the artist, a 1996 graduate of New York’s School of Visual Arts, was making a living as an illustrator for the animation studio Jumbo Pictures. Like young Hansel and Gretel with their trail of crumbs, KAWS would mark the morning route to his downtown Manhattan office with “subvertising,” “interrupting” fashion advertisements by adding his colorful character Bendy, its sinuous length sliding playfully around the likes of a Calvin Klein perfume bottle or supermodel Christy Turlington. Companion is now the most visible of the KAWS posse, appearing over the past decade in new postures and combinations in monumental works. KAWS’s visual language may be drawn from cartoons, but his work doesn’t necessarily evoke childlike joy. “My figures are not always reflecting the idealistic cartoon view that I grew up on,” he explained in the catalogue for an exhibition at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, in Texas. “Companion is more real in dealing with contemporary human circumstances . . . . I think when I’m making work it also often mirrors what’s going on with me at that time.” On 1stDibs, find a diverse assortment of KAWS art.
1stDibs ExpertFebruary 21, 2024
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Shop for KAWS Art on 1stDibs
KAWS Blush Companion 2016 (KAWS Flayed)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Blush Flayed Companion 2016: New and sealed in its original packaging. Published by Medicom Japan in conjunction with the exhibition, KAWS: Where The E...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Sculptures
Materials
Vinyl, Resin
KAWS Blush Companion (KAWS red blush)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Red Blush Companion. New and sealed in its original packaging. Published by Medicom Japan in conjunction with the exhibition, KAWS: Where The End Starts at the Modern Art Museum...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS - SHARE Hand signed & numbered - Modern Art Companion & Pink BFF Grey Pink
By KAWS
Located in Madrid, Madrid
KAWS - SHARE
Date of creation: 2022
Medium: Screen print on Stonehenge gray paper
Edition number: 118/500
Size: 50.8 x 40.6 cm
Condition: In mint conditions, brand new and never fram...
Category
2010s Pop Art Figurative Prints
Materials
Paper, Screen
Pinocchio By Kaws
By KAWS
Located in London, GB
Pinocchio
By Kaws
KAWS, the pseudonym of American artist Brian Donnelly, is widely recognized for his distinctive blend of street art and pop culture iconography. Renowned for his...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
Karimoku By Kaws
By KAWS
Located in London, GB
Karimoku
By Kaws
KAWS, the pseudonym of American artist Brian Donnelly, is widely recognized for his distinctive blend of street art and pop culture iconography. Renowned for his ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Wood
KAWS Holiday Singapore (KAWS Holiday companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Black Holiday Companion (KAWS Singapore):
This standout KAWS art toy features KAWS' signature character COMPANION in a resting position. Published to commemorate the debut of K...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl