KAWS
KAWS
Brian Donnelly, that’s his real name, was born in Jersey City in 1974 and was fascinated by graffiti since he was a teenager. After moving to New York City, he graduated from the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan in 1996. After finishing his studies, Kaws began to make a name for himself and was noticed by Walt Disney, with whom he began a collaboration that would see him participate in several projects as an illustrator. There is his hand in The Charge of 101 made into a cartoon version for TV. Kaws also drew the famous animated TV series Daria broadcast by Mtv. But this is just the beginning.
After graffiti and illustration, Kaws turned to sculpture, and his works, which have now become true icons, with characteristic “x “s on their hands and eyes, took shape. Kaws draws toys that very often turn into huge installations. The artist in his sculptures takes up pop culture characters such as Mickey Mouse, the Smurfs and Snoopy. His creatures are usually depicted in a shy pose and often have their hands over their eyes. Kaws’ sculptures are well known and appreciated, and have reached stratospheric prices. Between July 2016 and June 2017, he was one of the top-selling artists. The 150 works purchased by fans and collectors during that period are worth more than $6 million. His sculptures can be seen in galleries around the world. The next exhibition featuring him will open on September 20, 2019, and run through March 20, 2020, at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.
From the Jersey City artist’s creativity came vinyl toys in collaboration with Bounty Hunter. A success that has attracted the interest of brands such as Nike, Vans, Supreme, Undercover and Medicom Toy. For the latter brand he created Original Fake, a ready-to-wear project that won many fans including Marc Jacobs, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams. Kaws then designed the bottle of his Girl perfume for Pharrell Williams, while for Kanye West he created the album cover for 808 & Heartbreak. But Brian Donnelly’s foray into the world of music certainly did not stop there. In 2013, at the Mtv Video Music Awards held in Brooklyn, Kaws redesigned the Moonman, the award given to the winning artists in the different categories of the famous music event.
Companion is considered the Jersey City artist’s most popular cartoon character. The reasons that turned this work into a true icon are diverse. All the elements of our visual culture can be found in Companion. It is a curious mix of Mickey Mouse and a skull, made in 3D and with references to the Japanese world. The result is an apathetic and grim character who, for some strange reason manages to be likeable and appeal to a wide audience. Companion itself was the grand host of Hong Kong Arts Month, which was held in March this year. The KAWS: HOLIDAY installation with Companion’s likeness was placed in Victoria Harbour and attracted thousands of the artist’s fans and onlookers. The imposing 37-meter floating mouse is an ode to relaxation amid the typical hustle and bustle of the metropolis. A clear invitation to take a break from the stressful and chaotic city life. A message that has even more meaning in a city like Hong Kong. The work has previously been exhibited in Taipei and Seokchon Lake in Seoul. Other installations by artist Kaws can be found in Los Angeles, Qatar, and Detroit.
Another creative director who is a big fan of Kaws is Nigo who turned to the Jersey City-based artist who had previously worked on several projects for Uniqlo. Thus, the capsule collection was born to celebrate the anniversary of the Japanese chain’s store opened in 2011 on Fifth Avenue in New York. The stars of the collection are the artist’s best-known motifs that were printed on t-shirts and bags. Kaws and Uniqlo for spring summer 2019 have created a new capsule collection that sold out in record time and even sparked fights among kids who spent the night in front of the Japanese brand’s stores to secure one of the coveted t-shirts with the American artist’s Companion and BFF motifs at the opening. The Japanese company, seeing the great success of the collection, has announced that more items from this capsule collection will be put into production. In Italy, the first Uniqlo store is scheduled to open on September 13 in Milan. Italian fans of Kaws and Uniqlo are warned.
