KAWS
American artist KAWS (b. 1974) engages audiences beyond the museums and galleries in which he regularly exhibits. His prolific body of work straddles the worlds of art and design to include paintings, murals, graphic and product design, as well as large-scale sculptures. Over the last two decades, KAWS has built a successful career with work that consistently shows his formal agility as an artist, as well as his underlying wit, irreverence and affection for our times. His refined graphic language revitalises figuration with both big, bold gestures and playful intricacies.
KAWS often appropriates and draws inspiration from pop culture animations, forming a unique artistic vocabulary across various mediums. Admired for his larger-than-life sculptures and hardedge paintings that emphasise line and colour, KAWS’ creation of hybrid cartoon characters are the strongest examples of his exploration of humanity. As seen in his collaborations with global brands, KAWS’ imagery possesses a sophisticated humour and reveals a thoughtful interplay with consumer products. With their broad appeal, KAWS’ artworks are highly sought-after by collectors inside and outside of the art world, establishing him as a uniquely prominent artist and influence in today’s culture.
‘With a practice formed outside the art world in a parallel world where commerce, craftsmanship, consumption, popular imagery, and taste-making came together, KAWS’s work makes the categories of high and low art irrelevant. His use of cartoon characters offers access to art through a familiar point of entry, one that is not restricted by geography or cultural barriers.’
E. Tsai, ‘KAWS: What Party’, in KAWS: WHAT PARTY, exh. cat., Brooklyn Museum; New York: Phaidon Press Limited, 2021, p. 87
Image: BRIGHTER DAYS AHEAD, 2023, acrylic on canvas, 55.9 x 45.7 cm.; 22 x 18 in.; 59.2 x 49 x 5.7 cm.; 23 3/8 x 19 3/8 x 2 1/4 in. (framed). Photo: Farzad Owrang
Selected Works
Selected Institutional Exhibitions
Biography
VITA
1974
Born in Jersey City, USA
1996
BFA, School of Visual Arts, New York
1998
Pernod Liquid Art Award, Paris
2018
amfAR Hong Kong Gala Honoree
Hirshhorn Museum New York Gala 2018 Honoree
2019
Honorary Doctorate Degree, New York Academy of Art
New York Academy of Art Tribeca Ball Honoree
2021
Brooklyn Museum Artists Ball Honoree, New York
2022
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Ball Honoree, Washington, D.C.
American Folk Art Museum 60th Anniversary Gala Honoree, New York
Lives and works in New Jersey, USA
SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Brooklyn Museum, New York
CAC Malaga
City Museum, St. Louis
Hall Art Foundation, Reading
High Museum of Art, Atlanta
K11 Musea, Hong Kong
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Collection, Dallas
The National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park
Nevada Museum of Art, Reno
Pizzuti Collection, Columbus
Rosenblum Collection, Paris
Zabludowicz Collection, London
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024
TIME OFF
Parrish Art Museum, Watermill
KAWS + Warhol
The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh
2023
FAMILY
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
HOLIDAY
Prambanan Temples, Yogakarta
TIME OFF
Skarstedt, New York
2022
NEW FICTION
Serpentine Gallery, London
HOLIDAY
Changbai Mountain, Jilin Province
2021
PRINTS
High Museum of Art, Atlanta
HOLIDAY
Marina Bay, Singapore
SPOKE TOO SOON
Skarstedt, New York
CANVAS WORKS
Zemack Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv
SHARE
Rockefeller Center, New York
TOKYO FIRST
Mori Arts Center Gallery, Tokyo
HOLIDAY
Bristol
WHAT PARTY
Brooklyn Museum, New York
HOLIDAY
Skarstedt, Palm Beach
WHAT PARTY
Seagram Building, New York
2020
EXPANDED HOLIDAY (Augmented Reality)
New York; Los Angeles; London; Paris; São Paulo; Seoul; Taipei; Tokyo; Doha; Katavi National Park; Melbourne
2019
HOLIDAY
Dhow Harbor, Doha
HE EATS ALONE
Fire Station Museum, Doha
BLACKOUT
Skarstedt, London
COMPANIONSHIP IN THE AGE OF LONELINESS
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
ALONE AGAIN
Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit
HOLIDAY
Virginia Beach
ALONG THE WAY
HOCA Foundation, Hong Kong
HOLIDAY
Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong
HOLIDAY
Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, Taipei
2018
CLEAN SLATE
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
GONE
Skarstedt, New York
HOLIDAY
Seokchon Lake, Seoul
KAWS
Galerie Perrotin, Tokyo and Hong Kong
2017
KAWS
The Greenberg Gallery, St. Louis
FAR FAR DOWN
Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis
2016
WHERE THE END STARTS
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, travelled to:
Yuz Museum, Shanghai
KAWS: BFF
Central Embassy, Bangkok
KAWS: GISWIL
More Gallery, Giswil
KAWS
Galerie Perrotin, Seoul
KAWS
Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton
2015
Permanent Vacation II
Eden Rock Gallery, St. Barts
ALONG THE WAY
Brooklyn Museum, New York
CLEAN SLATE, LA NAVE
Las Salinas, Ibiza
CLEAN SLATE
Shanghai Times Square
2014
MAN'S BEST FRIEND
Honor Fraser, Los Angeles
Permanent Vacation
Eden Rock Gallery, St. Barths
CLEAN SLATE
Harbour City, Hong Kong
FINAL DAYS
Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, Málaga
PLAY YOUR PART
Galeria Javier Lopez, Madrid
2013
KAWS GISWIL
More Gallery, Giswil
KAWS @ PAFA
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia
UPS AND DOWNS
Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park
Ohhh...
Kaikai Kiki Gallery, Tokyo
PASS THE BLAME
Galerie Perrotin, New York
KAWS
Mary Boone Gallery, New York
2012
IMAGINARY FRIENDS
Galerie Perrotin, Paris
THE NATURE OF NEED
Galerie Perrotin, Hong Kong
KAWS: DOWN TIME
High Museum of Art, Atlanta
2011
KAWS: COMPANION
High Museum of Art, Atlanta
Focus: KAWS
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Hold The Line
Honor Fraser, Los Angeles
2010
COMPANION (PASSING THROUGH)
Harbour City, Hong Kong, travelled to:
Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield;
The Standard, New York;
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth;
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia
Pay the Debt to Nature
Galerie Perrotin, Paris
Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield
KAWS
Galeria Javier Lopez, Madrid
2009
The Long Way Home
Honor Fraser, Los Angeles
2008
KAWS
Gering & López Gallery, New York
SATURATED
Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Miami
2003
OriginalFake
BAPE Gallery, Tokyo
2002
C9
MU Art Foundation, Eindhoven
2001
Tokyo First
Parco Gallery, Tokyo
1999
KAWS: EXPOSED
Colette, Paris
1998
Me vs. Them
bOb Bar, New York
KAWS: Studies in Subvertising
Art & Revolution Organisation, Seattle
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024
TOM WESSLEMAN: POP NOW
Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris
Network
Skarstedt, Paris
2023
WORLDBUILDING: Gaming and Art in the digital age
Centre Pompidou-Metz
Artists Choose Parrish Part III
Parrish Museum, Watermill
Wild Style
Jeffrey Deitch, New York
My Kid Could Do That
ProjectArt, New York
Tondo
Anton Kern Gallery, New York
Faces & Figures
Skarstedt, New York / London / Paris
City As Studio
K11 Musea, Hong Kong
Pop Masters – Art from the Mugrabi Collection
Home of the Arts, Surfer’s Paradise
2022
25 – Jubilee Exhibition
MUCA, Munich
Sculpture
Skarstedt, Paris
Un Panorama de este Mundo
Fundación Proa, Buenos Aires
Visions, 10th Annual Singapore Arts Week
National Gallery, Singapore
1970s/GRAFFITI/TODAY
Phillips Park Avenue, New York
Artists Inspired by Music: Interscope Reimagined
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Light to Night Festival
National Gallery, Singapore
2021
ArtZuid Sculpture Biennale
Amsterdam
Black/White
Skarstedt, East Hampton
Painter/Sculptor
Skarstedt, London
The Looking Glass
Frieze, New York
2020
Collectouples
New York Academy of Art
Nuit Blanche Arts Festival
Paris
The Flag Project
Rockefeller Center, New York
2019
Happy!
NSU Art Museum, Fort Lauderdale
Buy / By Me
Susan Inglett Gallery, New York
Paintings & Sculptures
Skarstedt, New York
Inaugural Exhibition
Skarstedt, New York
2018
Approaching The Figure
Skarstedt, New York
2016
Character
V1 Gallery, Copenhagen
Holdings: Selections from MCASD's Collection
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Greek Gotham
Dio Horia Gallery, Mykonos
A Material Legacy
Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham
2015
A Shared Space: KAWS, Karl Wirsum, Tomoo Gokita
Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane University, New Orleans
Respect
Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, Málaga
ArtZuid 2015
Amsterdam
2014
If You're Accidentally Not Included, Don't Worry About It
Zürcher Studio, New York
Joyride
Marlborough Chelsea, New York
Ok, I'll rename it
Bill Brady Gallery, Kansas City
Knock! Knock!
Galeria Javier Lopez, Madrid
Full House
Garth Greenan Gallery, New York
PAINT NEW YORK
Gammel Strand, Copenhagen
2012
East West Shift to the Middle Part #1
Bill Brady Gallery, Kansas City
Group Show - Wangechi Mutu - KAWS - Jeff Sonhouse - Wim Delvoye
Gallery Zidoun, Luxembourg
It Ain't Fair 2012
OHWOW, Miami
2011
PRETTY ON THE INSIDE, organised by Erik Parker & KAWS
Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York
Art in the Streets
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
2010
Mutant Pop
Loyal Gallery, Malmö
It Ain't Fair
OHWOW, Miami
The Reflected Gaze - Self Portraiture Today
The Torrance Art Museum
2009
Just what is it that make today's painting so different, so appealing
Gering & López Gallery, New York
Stages, organised by Lance Armstrong and Nike
Galerie Perrotin, Paris
Alpha Exotica
Hydra School Projects, Athens
The New Yorkers
V1 Gallery, Copenhagen
Plastic Culture
Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston
2008
Everything Else
Franklin Parrasch Gallery, New York
2007
POPcentric
Gering & López Gallery, New York
2006
Info Babble
Richard & Dolly Maass Gallery, Purchase
Ugly Winners
Galerie du Juor, Paris
2004
Beautiful Losers
Le Tri Postal, Lille, travelled to:
Palazzo Dell'Arte, Milan;
USF Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa;
Contemporary Museum, Baltimore;
Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach;
Yerba Buena Arts Center, San Francisco;
Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati
2003
SK8 on the Wall
Parco Gallery, Tokyo
2002
Session The Bowl
Deitch Projects, New York
ALIFE Shop
Deitch Projects, New York
Coded Language
City Gallery Chastain, Atlanta
KAWS & CRASH
Made Gallery, Vancouver
2001
Shortcuts
Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre, Athens, travelled to:
Pierides Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens
New Acquisitions from the Dakis Joannou Collection
Deste Foundation, Athens
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Monographs
D. Nadel, T. Crow, et al., KAWS, New York: Phaidon, 2023
D. Birnbaum & E. Tsai, KAWS: WHAT PARTY, New York: Brooklyn / Phaidon, 2021
C. McCormick, KAWS Handbook, New York: No More Rulers, 2021
M. Ramirez-Montagut and G. Celant, KAWS, New York: Rizzoli Electa, 2010
Others
J. Shedden and J. Cox, eds., KAWS: FAMILY, exh. cat., Art Gallery of Ontario, Ontario; New York: DelMonico Books, 2024
KAWS: SPOKE TOO SOON, exh. cat., New York: Skarstedt, 2022
Kaws, KAWS: ALONG THE WAY, exh. cat., Hong Kong: HOCA, 2022
D. Buchhart, Joachim Pissarro and Junya Yamamine, KAWS: TOKYO FIRST, exh. cat., Tokyo: Mori Arts Center Gallery / Blue Sheep, 2021
G. Celant, KAWS: He Eats Alone, exh. cat., Qatar: Silvana Editoriale / Qatar Museums, 2020
M. Atwood and S. Maidment, KAWS: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness, exh. cat., Melbourne: The National Gallery of Victoria, 2019
KAWS: GONE, exh. cat., New York: Skarstedt, 2019
A. Karnes, M. Auping and D. Buchhart, KAWS: Where the End Starts, exh. cat., Fort Worth: Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 2017
F. Frigeri, KAWS Catalogue at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, exh. cat., West Bretton: Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 2016
C. Peipon, MAN’S BEST FRIEND, exh. cat., Los Angeles: Honor Fraser Gallery, 2016
F. Francés and M. Ramírez-Montagut, Kaws: Final Days, exh. cat., Málaga: Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, 2014
M. Rooks and M. E. Shapiro, KAWS Downtime, exh. cat., Atlanta: High Museum of Art Atlanta, 2012
Videos
Selected Press
Artnet News May 2024
Foyer October 2023
Lux Magazine Autumn/Winter 2022/2023
GQ September 2021
The Brooklyn Rail June 2021
ArtForum April 2021
The Guardian March 2021
The New Yorker March 2021
The New York Times February 2021
GQ August 2019
Time Magazine March 2019
