Kaws (artist) — Wikipedia

The Moonman designed by Kaws for the MTV Video Music Awards 2013.

Inner (his real name Brian Donnelly ) is a New York artist born in 1974 in Jersey City ^{[ first ]} . Coming from the Graffiti scene, snap eam_vlb he reconciles the references to the icons of pop culture (the Simpsons, the Smurfs, Bob the sponge), the frontal energy of urban painters (cross eyes, pirate skull) and means of large -scale production typical of pop art. His emblematic characters to capture my reuf (chum, completion, companion) are available in the form of toys, t-shirts, serigraphs or original works. ^{[ first ]}

Brian Donelly graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 1996 ^{[ 2 ]} . He collaborates for some time for Disney, where he works in particular on 101 Dalmatians . This passage in the venerable house is decisive: we will find Mickey’s body on the companions, as well as the hands, typical of Disney, on several characters. As for his pictorial style, with its very precise line and its flat colors, it clearly recalls the style of will study Pig Disney, or at least the world of animation ^{[ 3 ]} .

Kaws began his career by graffitating his name in giant letters on the walls and posters of New York. He sometimes adds a drawing that becomes his signature: the skully , pirate skull whose cross bones are shortened so as to form kinds of ears. Kaws will then distinguish itself from the many New York graphicors by diverting advertising posters. Legend has it that it is another graphicator, Barry McGee, who gave him a key to opening the advertising panels of the shelters. Kaws then recovers the I love is sculpture posters (Calvin Klein, Dkny, Diesel, etc.), covers the faces of skulls, sign, then replace them discreetly. He also develops another character: the bendy , prolonged skull of a snake body (or sperm?), Who wraps around the central character of the poster. This is indeed a real visual kidnapping where the artist phagocyte the icons of the consumer society. The objects of desire imposed by the multinationals then become strange figures, both morbid (the skulls) and sexual (the “bendies” which surround, see the bodies). Kaws works on advertisements in New York, London, Tokyo and Paris. Sarah, from the Colette store, actively supports her work, and publishes Kaws Exposed , a small book on these diversions of advertising (“ad disruptions”) ^{[ 3 ]} .

In Tokyo, Kaws publishes his first Toy designer (also called Art Toys). The companion has a mickey body, surmounted by a pirate skull, x eyes. The toy is an immediate success with collectors. He then publishes chum: the same skull is perched this time on a body reminiscent of that of Michelin’s bibendum. In Tokyo always, he meets Nigo, the creator of the brand A Bathing Ape. Nigo will allow him to carry out the product paintings packaging. A first series of paintings, all of dimension 40 × 40 cm , diverts the imagery of Simpson (become the Kimpson). The second series painted in bright color on a black background the chum characters, accomplished, and diverted heroes inspired by Astroboy or Hello Kitty. Each table is presented under plastic packaging, as if it were intended to be sold in a supermarket. With these two series, Kaws is deeply part of the pop art approach. This radical work, and fundamental in his career, is grouped in the book C10, which takes up the packaging of the works. ^{[ 2 ]}

At the same time, Nigo helps him open original Fake, a shop that is inspired by Keith Haring Pop Shop. Kaws will then decline his characters and drawings in the form of T-shirts, sneakers, scarves, etc. His Toys art is also sold on the site. Kaws still produces in very limited series, and each object quickly becomes exhausted. Toys art, generally made at 500 or 1,000 copies, are sold in a few hours. Kaws also collaborated in various brands including A Bathing Ape, like boys, Marc Jacobs, Vans, or Nike, and participated in the cover of the 808s & Heartbreak album of rapper Kanye West. From 2008, Kaws seems to have a productivist frenzy and declines its symbols on objects as futile as keychain, ashtrays and bath mats!

Winner of the Pernod Prize in 1998, Kaws exhibited at the Parco gallery in Tokyo and Elms Lester in London in 2001, in Vancouver in 2002, and during the traveling collective exhibition Beautiful Losers in 2004 ^{[ 4 ]} . Close to Nigo and Pharrell Williams who presents him to Emmanuel Perrotin, gallery owner of Takashi Murakami and the whole band of Kaikai-Kiki, it’s in September 2008 In Miami that he presents Saturated, an exhibition that declines the figures of the sponge (renamed Kawsbob) on large format canvases. All the works of the exhibition are sold from the first day, just like those presented at the Gering & Lopez gallery in November 2008 At New York. The Long Way Home exhibition, presented at the Honor Fraser gallery in Los Angeles in February 2009 . Il s’inspire de Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons et Takashi Murakami ^{[ 4 ]} .

Kaws bestiary: adult toys or pop sculptures? [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Kaws’ universe is populated by recurring characters. Inspired by icons of popular culture, they are both familiar and strange, even disturbing. Originally existing in the form of sketches or drawings, these characters materialized in 3 dimensions thanks to the manufacturer Medicom. Products in limited editions (generally 500 or 1000), these Toys or Art Toys designers are considered by some as adult toys, by others as real sculptures. It should also be noted that Kaws has always paid great attention to the packaging. The figurines, which are exchanged today on eBay up to ten times their original price, lose a lot of their value if they are sold without their box.

• Companion (1999): The “ad disruption” approach is resumed in 3 dimensions: Mickey’s body is “kidnapped”, embellished with a pirate head in the XX.
• ACCOMPLENT (2002): As he explained in the magazine Anp Quarterly, Kaws wanted to undermine his own “Street Credibility”. He therefore created a gentle character, and as ridiculous as possible: in this case, the companion seems to have slipped into a rabbit costume!
• CHUM (2002): Always the pirate head in XX eyes on a body that this time recalls the Michelin guy.
• Bendy (2003): The pirate head on a sperm body.
• Companion 5 YEARS LATER (2004): The body of the character of 1999 evolves: it becomes thicker, the legs more straight.
• Of Disseted 5yl Companion (2006): one vertical half is that of the 5yl companion, the other is that of the dissected character, apparent muscles and hoses.
• JPP (2008): Japanese police mascot with XX eyes

The Museum of Modern Art of Fort Worth presents Kaws: where the end starts of the October 20, 2016 At January 22, 2017 ^{[ 5 ]} .

2020 Retrospective National Gallery of Victoria de Melbourne ^{[ first ] , [ 6 ]}

2021 Brooklyn Museum, in New York ^{[ first ]}

In 2015, CONTROL becomes the most expensive work of graffiti in the world, 218,800 € € ^{[ 7 ]} , and dethroned the previous records of Jonone, in 2007, Seen and Banksy.

In 2019 its rating on the art market has new heights, with the sale of ^{[ 8 ]} :

• The Walk Home (2012), 4.5 million euros,
• In the Woods (2002), version dark Snow White, 3.4 million euros.
• Kurf (2008), inspired by the Smurfs, 2.3 million euros.
• Work to cover the album, One of his paintings inspired by the world of Simpsons being awarded $ 14.7 million in Hong Kong ^{[ 9 ] , [ ten ] , [ 11 ] , [ 8 ]} .

The artist Kaws collaborates regularly with brands. ^{[ twelfth ] , [ 13 ] , [ 14 ]}

Collaborations selection [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

His work is in the following collections

• Kaws Exposed (Aro Space/Colette, 1999)
• Tayide (Little More, 2001)
• Know: C10 (Neverstop, 2002)
• Inner , Monica Ramirez-Montagut (Skira Rizzoli, 2010)