A retrospective of acclaimed American street artist KAWS, with his large skull-headed figures, opened Friday at the Brooklyn Museum in New York.
KAWS’s works have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, but this is the first retrospective of his 25-year career in a major museum.
“KAWS: What Party” traces the artistic journey of Brian Donnelly, a former graffiti artist who later became a painter and sculptor. It will be open until September 5.
The stars are the two KAWS antiheroes, Companion and Chum, whose faces are inspired by the skull of the pirate flag. Companion remembers Mickey Mouse with his body and shorts, while Chum the Michelin man.
“KAWS’s work refers to universal emotions such as loneliness, melancholy and companionship,” said Joan Robledo-Palop, whose Zeit Contemporary Art gallery in New York has sold nearly 100 works by Donnelly.
The artist, who turned 46 on Friday and did not respond to AFP requests for comment, has explained little about his creative process.
For exhibition curator Eugenie Tsai, KAWS characters manage to be light but also melancholic and introspective.
“They resonate with all of us in life in general,” he said. “Not everything is fun.”
Initially accused in the art world of being superficial, KAWS quickly found his audience, including several celebrities, before winning over the general public.
He first gained fame in Asia, especially Japan, before becoming known in the West where singer-producer Pharrell Williams and rapper Jay-Z have purchased his works.
In April 2019, the painting “The Kaws Album” reminiscent of both the Simpsons and the Beatles sold for a record $ 14.7 million in Hong Kong.
tu / lbc / dga
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