Brian Donnelly (born November 4, 1974), known professionally as Kaws (stylized as KAWS), is an American artist and designer. His work includes repeated use of a cast of figurative characters and motifs, some dating back to the beginning of his career in the 1990s,
initially painted in 2D and later realized in 3D. Some of his characters are his own creations while others are reworked versions of existing icons.
Kaws' sculptures range in size from a few inches to ten meters tall,
. The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
, 31 January 2016. Accessed 25 March 2017 and are made from various materials including fiberglass, aluminum, wood, bronze, and a steel pontoon inflatable raft.
Kaws' influences come from traditional high art painters like
Gerhard Richter
Gerhard Richter (; born 9 February 1932) is a German visual artist. Richter has produced abstract as well as photorealistic paintings, and also photographs and glass pieces. He is widely regarded as one of the most important contemporary Germa ...
,
Claes Oldenburg
Claes Oldenburg (January 28, 1929 – July 18, 2022) was a Swedish-born American sculptor, best known for his public art installations typically featuring large replicas of everyday objects. Another theme in his work is soft sculpture versions ...
, and
Chuck Close
Charles Thomas Close (July 5, 1940 – August 19, 2021) was an American painter, visual artist, and photographer who made massive-scale photorealist and abstract portraits of himself and others. Close also created photo portraits using a very l ...
, and he has been compared to the likes of
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the Art movement, visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore th ...
for his cross-market appeal and ability to blur lines between commercial and
fine art
In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwor ...
. His work is exhibited in galleries and museums, held in the permanent collections of public institutions, and avidly collected by individuals
including music producer
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...
, internet figure
PewDiePie
Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg ( , ; born 24 October 1989), better known as PewDiePie ( ), is a Swedish YouTuber known for his Let's Play videos and comedic formatted videos and shows. Kjellberg's popularity on YouTube and extensive media coverage ...
, rappers
Pharrell Williams,
Kid Cudi, and members of South Korean group
BTS
BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-pr ...
. A number of books illustrating his work have been published.
Kaws lives and works in
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, creating sculptures,
acrylic painting
Acrylic paint is a fast-drying paint made of pigment suspended in acrylic polymer emulsion and plasticizers, silicone oils, defoamers, stabilizers, or metal soaps. Most acrylic paints are water-based, but become water-resistant when dry. De ...
s on canvas, and
screen print
Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink (or dye) onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open mes ...
s while also collaborating commercially, predominantly on
limited edition
The terms special edition, limited edition, and variants such as deluxe edition, or collector's edition, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints, r ...
toys, but also clothing,
skateboard deck
A skateboard is a type of sports equipment used for skateboarding. They are usually made of a specially designed 7-8 ply maple plywood deck and polyurethane wheels attached to the underside by a pair of skateboarding trucks.
The skateboarder ...
s, and other products. KAWS is represented by
Skarstedt Gallery, New York.
Early life and education
Donnelly was born in 1974 in
Jersey City, New Jersey where he attended
St. Anthony High School. As a teenager, Donnelly created a tag for himself, KAWS (based on the way the letters looked — the word, in fact, has no meaning), which he painted on the roof of an area building so that he could see it outside while attending class in high school. He went on to attend the
School of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts New York City (SVA NYC) is a private for-profit art school in New York City. It was founded in 1947 and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design.
History
This school was started by ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, receiving a
Bachelor of Fine Arts in illustration in 1996. Following graduation, he briefly worked for
Jumbo Pictures
The Walt Disney Company has owned and operated several animation studios since the company's founding on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio; the current Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, Cal ...
as a freelance animator painting backgrounds for the animated series
''101 Dalmatians'', ''
Daria
''Daria'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis Lynn. The series ran from March 3, 1997, to January 21, 2002, on MTV. It focuses on the title character, Daria Morgendorffer, an intelligent, cynical high ...
'' and ''
Doug.''
[Healy, Murray. And "Graffiti Artist Turned Gallery Artist Turned Art Toy Maker, KAWS." ''Pop''. Feb. 2007: 260-265.]
Moving to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
in the 1990s, illegal graffiti was the first step of Kaws learning his craft.
Animator by day, and
graffiti artist
Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
by night, Kaws started
subvertising
Subvertising (a portmanteau of '' subvert'' and ''advertising'') is the practice of making spoofs or parodies of corporate and political advertisements. The cultural critic Mark Dery coined the term in 1991. Subvertisements are anti-ads that d ...
billboards, bus shelters, and phone booths, using a
skeleton key
A skeleton key (also known as a passkey) is a type of master key in which the serrated edge has been removed in such a way that it can open numerous locks, most commonly the warded lock. The term derives from the fact that the key has been r ...
gifted to him by friend and fellow graffiti artist
Barry McGee
Barry McGee (born 1966) is an American contemporary artist. He is a well known graffiti artist, and a pioneer of the Mission School art movement. McGee is known by his monikers: Twist, Ray Fong, Bernon Vernon, and P.Kin.
Life and education
Barry ...
.
[KAWS on 'Brilliant Ideas']
. Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P. is a privately held financial, software, data, and media company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was co-founded by Michael Bloomberg in 1981, with Thomas Secunda, Duncan MacMillan, Charles Zegar, and a 1 ...
, 15 June 2016. Accessed 23 March 2017 Using a key he created for himself,
he also started subvertising bus shelters. Kaws has since subvertised in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
,
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
, and
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
.
Artworks
Kaws' acrylic paintings and sculpture have many repeating images, all meant to be universally understood, surpassing languages and cultures. Some of his characters date back to the beginning of his career in the 1990s: ''Companion'' (created in 1999),
''Accomplice'', ''Chum'', and ''Bendy''.
His series ''The Kimpsons'' subverted the American cartoon ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
''.
Kaws' ''Companion'' is a grayscale clown-like figure based on
Mickey Mouse with his face obscured by both hands, and two bones sticking out of his head. In 1999, the Japanese toy company Bounty Hunter produced and sold a vinyl ''Companion'' toy (Mickey Mouse with X-ed out eyes ''cloning'').
The figure was adapted into a balloon for the 2012
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with ...
,
as part of its "Blue Sky Gallery" of balloons. Having already created oversized sculptures in the past, Kaws started to produce further sculptures of his ''Companion'' character for exhibitions in
Switzerland, Hong Kong,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
,
Málaga,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, and
China.
Kaws has periodically shown both paintings and products at
Colette
Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known mononymously as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaking world for her ...
in Paris since 1999. His work was included in the traveling exhibition ''Beautiful Losers'', which started at the
Cincinnati Contemporary Art Center and traveled throughout the US and Europe, including his then-largest museum show to date at the
High Museum of Art
The High Museum of Art (colloquially the High) is the largest museum for visual art in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta, Georgia (on Peachtree Street in Midtown, the city's arts district), the High is 312,000 square feet (28, ...
in Atlanta, GA in 2012.
On April 1, 2019 at
Sotheby's
Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, an ...
in Hong Kong, ''The Kaws Album'' (2005), a painting by Kaws commissioned by Nigo, sold for 115.9 million Hong Kong dollars, or about $14.7 million U.S. dollars, a new auction record for the artist at the time.
Kaws's style can be characterized by an emphasis on color and line, distinctive graphics, such as the repeated use of "x"s on the hands, nose, eyes, ears, and the
appropriation of pop culture icons such as
Mickey Mouse, the
Michelin Man
Bibendum (), commonly referred to in English as the Michelin Man or Michelin Tyre Man, is the official mascot of the Michelin tyre company. A humanoid figure consisting of stacked white tyres, it was introduced at the Lyon Exhibition of 1894 wh ...
, and his characters are generally depicted in a shy and/or powerless pose often with their hands over their nose. In his paintings, Kaws always deconstructs his appropriation of iconic characters into shapes that produces abstract paintings.
Products and commercial collaborations
Since his first vinyl toy with the Japanese clothing brand Bounty Hunter in 1999, he has collaborated on toys with other Japanese companies:
Nigo for
A Bathing Ape (Bape), Medicom Toy, and
Santastic!. Since the beginning of their partnership in 2001, Nigo and Kaws have collaborated on the packaging for Kaws’ “The Kimpsons” exhibit and three seasons of A Bathing Ape. He and Medicom Toy ran OriginalFake, a brand and store in
Aoyama, from 2006 to May 2013.
Kaws has also collaborated with
Jun Takahashi for the brand Undercover, as a voice-over artist for Michael "Mic" Neumann's
Kung Faux, and worked on projects with
Burton,
Vans
Vans is an American manufacturer of skateboarding shoes and related apparel, established in Anaheim, California, and owned by VF Corporation. The company also sponsors surf, snowboarding, BMX, and motocross teams. From 1996 to 2019, the comp ...
,
Supreme and
DC Shoes
DC Shoes is an American company that specializes in footwear for action sports, including skateboarding and snowboarding. The company also manufactures apparel, bags, accessories, hats, tshirts, and posters.
History
The company was founded in ...
. There are Kaws-designed small edition bottles for
Dos Equis and
Hennessy
Jas Hennessy & Co., commonly known simply as Hennessy (), is a French producer of cognac, which has its headquarters in Cognac, France.
It is one of the "big four" cognac houses, along with Martell, Courvoisier, and Rémy Martin, who together ma ...
, rugs for Gallery 1950 and packaging for
Kiehl's
Kiehl's LLC is an American cosmetics brand retailer that specializes in skin, hair, and body care products. It started as a single pharmacy in Manhattan at Third Avenue and East 13th Street in 1851. Kiehl's was purchased by the L'Oréal Group in ...
cosmetics.
In 2004, he collaborated with Undefeated Brand on a billboard project in Los Angeles.
In 2008 he collaborated with
John Mayer to produce a collection of guitar picks.
In 2008, he created cover art for musicians
Towa Tei
is a Japanese artist, record producer, and DJ. Born in Yokohama, Japan, Towa debuted as a member of Deee-Lite, from the US label Elektra Records in 1990 and shot to fame via their international hit single, "Groove Is In the Heart". He made his s ...
,
Cherie Cherie is an English female given name. It comes from the French ''chérie'', meaning ''darling'' (from the past participle of the verb ''chérir'', ''to cherish'').
Notable people with the name or stage name include:
* Cherie, one of the stage ...
,
Clipse (''Clipse
Till The Casket Drops'') and
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
(''
808s & Heartbreak
''808s & Heartbreak'' is the fourth studio album by American rapper Kanye West. It was released by Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records on November 24, 2008, having been recorded earlier that year in September and October at Glenwood Studi ...
'') as well as designed
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
Air Force 1 trainers (the Nike 1World project involved 18 total designers). And in March 2017, the Nike subsidiary
Air Jordan
Air Jordan is an American brand of basketball shoes produced by American corporation Nike. The first Air Jordan shoe was produced for Hall of Fame former basketball player Michael Jordan during his time with the Chicago Bulls in late 1984 an ...
released a
capsule collection
A capsule wardrobe is a collection of clothing that is composed of interchangeable items only, to maximise the number of outfits that can be created. The aim is to have an outfit suitable for any occasion without owning excessive items of clothing ...
in collaboration with Kaws – four Air Jordan sneakers customized by Kaws, and a number of apparel pieces.
In November/December 2010 he illustrated magazine covers for ''The New Yorker'', ''Clark Magazine'' , ''
i-D'' and ''Sneeze Magazine''.
In 2011, Kaws appeared on the
Bravo reality competition series ''
Work of Art: The Next Great Artist'', where he was a guest judge for the Season 2 finale.
For the
2013 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2013 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 25, 2013, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Marking the 30th installment of the award show, they were the first to be held in New York City not to use a venue within the borough of M ...
, Kaws redesigned the MTV Moonman trophy in the form of his "Companion" character, and his 3D model was used to create a 60-foot tall inflatable version. He also redesigned various event materials.
In 2014, Kaws designed the bottle artwork for the scent Girl, by
Comme des Garçons
Comme des Garçons (also known as CDG) is a Japanese fashion label based in Paris that was created and led by Rei Kawakubo. Its French flagship store is located in Paris. This label owns a world-wide store chain featuring various lines of pro ...
and
Pharrell Williams.
In 2016, Kaws entered into an ongoing relationship with clothing store
Uniqlo to produce a line of affordable T-shirts and accessories; the first line was clothing and soft toys based on the popular children's show ''
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) ...
.'' In April 2017, Uniqlo released a line of ''
Peanuts
''Peanuts'' is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ''Peanuts'' is among the most popular and infl ...
''-themed T-shirts, accessories, and plushies designed by Kaws; and in November 2018, Kaws created a second line range of ''Sesame Street''-themed clothing and soft toys.
In May 2017, the
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
(MoMA) in New York City released limited supplies of the $200 Kaws Companion action figure, resulting in the MoMA Design Store website crashing due to the unprecedented rush of traffic.
In May 2017, UK auction house
Phillips sold a ''Kaws Seated Companion'' (2011) bronze sculpture for approximately US $411,000.
In May 2018, Kaws installed two 26-foot tall ''Companion'' and ''BFF'' sculptures at a shopping complex in
Changsha
Changsha (; ; ; Changshanese pronunciation: (), Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is the Capital city, capital and the largest city of Hunan Province of China. Changsha is the 17th most populous city in China with a popul ...
, China.
In October 2019, Kaws unveiled "WAITING", a sculpture in Greenpoint, Brooklyn located in front of 21 India Street.
In July 2021, Kaws collaborated with
Travis Scott.
In July 2022, Kaws collaborated with
J-Hope
Jung Ho-seok (; born February 18, 1994), better known by his stage name J-Hope (stylized as j-hope), is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer, and record producer. He made his debut as a member of South Korean boy band BTS in 201 ...
, one of the members of
BTS
BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-pr ...
, for his solo album cover.
The 2022 release of General Mills' Monster Cereals features box art by Kaws.
Controversy
Comic book artist
Bill Morrison felt "ripped off" by Kaws' 2005 work ''The Kaws Album'' because the work was simply a "traced interpretation of my ''
Simpsons Yellow Album''" (released in 1998 and signed by Matt Groening), which itself was a parody of the cover art for the
Beatles album ''
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' replaced with characters from
the Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
.
Criticism
In response to the sale of "The yes he did KAWS Album" at
Sotheby's
Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, an ...
, Anny Shaw wrote that KAWS has not moved on from being a
street artist, and that his work is conceptually bankrupt. M. H. Miller views Brian Donnelly's career in light of the current state of the
art world
The art world comprises everyone involved in producing, commissioning, presenting, preserving, promoting, chronicling, criticizing, buying and selling fine art. It is recognized that there are many art worlds, defined either by location or alte ...
, where contemporary works are less about cultural value than providing a place to invest the wealth of
billionaires
A billionaire is a person with a net worth of at least one billion (1,000,000,000, i.e., a thousand million) units of a given currency, usually of a major currency such as the United States dollar, euro, or pound sterling. The American busi ...
. KAWS is given credit for being modest about his work and admitting that it is not worth the high prices brought upon resale.
Collections
Kaws' work is held in the following permanent public collections:
*
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (widely referred to as The Modern) is an art museum of post-World War II art in Fort Worth, Texas with a collection of international modern and contemporary art. Founded in 1892, The Modern is located in the c ...
, Fort Worth, TX: acquired ''Where the End Starts'' in 2012
*
Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY: 1 piece, "Along the Way"
*
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (or MCASD), in San Diego, California, US, is an art museum focused on the collection, preservation, exhibition, and interpretation of works of art from 1950 to the present.
Mission
The stated mission of ...
, San Diego, CA: 1 piece
*
One Campus Martius
One Campus Martius is a building located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It began construction in 2000 and was finished in 2003. It has seventeen floors in total, fifteen above-ground, and two below-ground, and has of office space. The high-ris ...
, Detroit, MI: 1 piece, "Waiting"
Bibliography
*''Kaws Exposed.'' Seattle: ARO Space, 1999. . Edition of 2000 copies. 31 pages of photographs of his graffiti.
*''Kaws One.'' Tokyo: Little More, 2001. Edited by Kawachi, Taka and Akio E-da. .
*''Kaws C10: The Paintings of Kaws.'' Seattle: Neverstop, 2002. . With an introduced by
Carlo McCormick
Carlo McCormick is an American culture critic and curator living in New York City. He is the author of numerous books, monographs and catalogues on contemporary art and artists.
Pedagogic and art writing activities
McCormick was Senior Edito ...
. Edition of 3000 copies.
*''Kaws: 1993-2010.''
Skira Rizzoli), 2009. Written by Mónica Ramírez-Montagut. . A retrospective, with illustrations and text. Edited by Ian Luna and Lauren A. Gould and with a contribution by Germano Celant.
*''Kaws: Downtime.'' Atlanta, GA:
High Museum of Art
The High Museum of Art (colloquially the High) is the largest museum for visual art in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta, Georgia (on Peachtree Street in Midtown, the city's arts district), the High is 312,000 square feet (28, ...
, 2012. Edited by Michael Rooks and Seth Zucker. . With a foreword by Michael E. Shapiro, an essay by Rooks, and a list of Kaws exhibitions. 112 pages. A catalogue to accompany the exhibition ''Downtime'' at High Museum of Art.
*''Kaws: Final Days Exhibition Catalogue.'' 82 pages covering an exhibition at the Center of Contemporary Art of Malaga in 2014.
*''Kaws Exhibition Catalogue.'' Wakefield, England:
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
The Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) is an art gallery, with both open-air and indoor exhibition spaces, in West Bretton, Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, England. It shows work by British and international artists, including Henry Moore and Barbar ...
, 2016. Photographs by Jonty Wilde. . A catalogue to accompany an exhibition at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. With texts by Flavia Frigeri, Helen Pheby, and Clare Lilley.
[Kaws Exhibition Catalogue"]
. Yorkshire Sculpture Park
The Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) is an art gallery, with both open-air and indoor exhibition spaces, in West Bretton, Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, England. It shows work by British and international artists, including Henry Moore and Barbar ...
. Accessed 22 March 2017
*''KAWS: Where the End Starts.'' 2017. With text by: Andrea Karnes, Dieter Buchhart, and Michael Auping. .
References
External links
*
Kids on KAWS
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaws
1974 births
Living people
American contemporary artists
School of Visual Arts alumni
St. Anthony High School (New Jersey) alumni
American designers
American male sculptors
American pop artists
Graffiti and unauthorised signage