Kaws facts for kids

Brian Donnelly (born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on November 4, 1974) is an American artist and designer. He is known professionally as Kaws (pronounced "cause").

Kaws often uses a special group of characters and designs in his art. Some of these designs go all the way back to when he started his career in the 1990s. He first drew them in 2D (flat pictures), and later made them into 3D sculptures. Some of his characters are completely new ideas, while others are his own versions of famous characters.

His sculptures can be very small, just a few inches tall, or super big, up to ten meters (about 33 feet) tall! He uses many different materials like fiberglass, aluminum, wood, bronze, and even inflatable rafts.

Kaws gets ideas from famous painters like Gerhard Richter and Andy Warhol. People often compare him to Andy Warhol because his art is popular in many different markets. It also mixes commercial (like ads or products) and fine art (art made for galleries). His artwork is shown in galleries and museums around the world. It is also collected by many people, including famous musicians like Pharrell Williams and members of the South Korean group BTS.

Kaws lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. He creates sculptures, acrylic paintings on canvas, and screen prints. He also works with companies to create special limited edition items. These often include toys, but also clothes, skateboard decks, and other products.

Early Life and Art Journey

Brian Donnelly was born in 1974 in Jersey City, New Jersey. He went to St. Anthony High School. As a teenager, he created his artist name, KAWS. He chose these letters because he liked how they looked together. He even painted his tag on a building roof so he could see it from his high school classroom!

After high school, he studied illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He earned his degree in 1996. For a short time, he worked as an animator. He painted backgrounds for cartoons like 101 Dalmatians, Daria, and Doug.

In the 1990s, Kaws started doing graffiti in New York City. By day, he was an animator. By night, he was a graffiti artist. He began changing billboards, bus shelters, and phone booths. He used a special key to open the display cases. He has since done this "subvertising" in cities like Paris, London, Berlin, and Tokyo.

Famous Artworks

KAWS's At This Time sculpture in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Kaws's paintings and sculptures often feature the same characters. These characters are designed to be understood by everyone, no matter what language they speak. Some of his most famous characters have been around since the 1990s. These include Companion (created in 1999), Accomplice, Chum, and Bendy. He also created a series called The Kimpsons, which was his own version of The Simpsons cartoon.

Kaws's Companion is a gray, clown-like figure. It is based on Mickey Mouse, but its face is covered by its hands. It also has two bones sticking out of its head. In 1999, a Japanese toy company made a vinyl Companion toy. This figure was even turned into a giant balloon for the 2012 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! Kaws has also made huge sculptures of his Companion character for art shows around the world.

Kaws's art style uses lots of color and strong lines. He often uses "x" marks on hands, noses, eyes, and ears. He also takes famous pop culture characters like Mickey Mouse and the Michelin Man and makes them his own. His characters often look shy or powerless, sometimes with their hands over their noses. In his paintings, Kaws breaks down these famous characters into shapes. This creates unique abstract paintings.

Products and Collaborations

Kaws redesigned the MTV Moonman trophy in 2013.

Kaws has worked with many companies to create cool products. His first vinyl toy was with a Japanese clothing brand called Bounty Hunter in 1999. Since then, he has made toys with other Japanese companies like Medicom Toy. From 2006 to 2013, he even had his own brand and store in Tokyo called OriginalFake.

He has also teamed up with many other well-known brands. These include Burton, Vans, Supreme, and DC Shoes. Kaws has designed special bottles for drinks like Dos Equis and Hennessy. He has also created rugs, cosmetics packaging, and even guitar picks for musician John Mayer.

Kaws has designed album covers for famous musicians like Kanye West and Clipse. He also designed Nike Air Force 1 sneakers. In 2017, Nike's Air Jordan brand released a collection of sneakers and clothes designed by Kaws. More recently, he has worked with hip-hop artists like Travis Scott and Kid Cudi. He designed their merchandise, including clothing and album covers.

In 2011, Kaws was a guest judge on the TV show Work of Art: The Next Great Artist. For the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, Kaws redesigned the famous MTV Moonman trophy. He made it look like his "Companion" character. A giant 60-foot tall inflatable version was also made! In 2014, he designed the bottle for a perfume by Comme des Garçons and Pharrell Williams.

Since 2016, Kaws has worked with the clothing store Uniqlo. They create affordable T-shirts and accessories. Their first collection featured clothing and toys based on Sesame Street. They also released a line of Peanuts-themed items. In 2017, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City released a limited edition Kaws Companion action figure. It was so popular that their website crashed!

In 2018, Kaws placed two huge sculptures, Companion and BFF, at a shopping center in China. In 2021, the Kaws Skeleton outfit was released in the video game Fortnite: Battle Royale. A second outfit, KawsPeely, came out in 2022. In 2022, Kaws also collaborated with J-Hope from BTS for his solo album cover. He also designed the box art for General Mills' Monster Cereals. In 2023, Kaws worked with the Brooklyn Nets basketball team to design their special City Edition Jerseys.

Impact on Culture

In the 1990s, Kaws helped create a graffiti magazine called Skills. This helped spread his name and art in the worlds of fine art, fashion, and design. Kaws has shown that the line between fashion and art can be blurry. His collaborations with big brands like Dior and Supreme, and even companies like Hennessy, have made his work even more popular. Many collectors, including famous influencers and artists, are interested in his pieces.

Some art museums might not always welcome his work. Anne Pasternak, director of the Brooklyn Museum, says that Kaws "makes the art world uncomfortable." She means that Kaws doesn't always follow the old rules of the art world. Kaws's art brings out many different feelings. He connects the old ways of art with the new. His art allows everyone to feel like a collector. Kaws has brought together different parts of art, like fashion, business, and fine art. He has added a simple, meaningful style to them. Kaws helps connect artists, collectors, and the public through the human experience of art.

Art Market and Collections

Kaws's artwork is very valuable. In 2017, a bronze sculpture called Kaws Seated Companion (2011) sold for about $411,000. In 2019, a painting by Kaws called The Kaws Album (2005) sold for about $14.7 million. This set a new record for his art at auction.

Kaws's work is part of the permanent collections in several public museums:

• Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX: Where the End Starts (acquired in 2012)
• Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY: "Along the Way"
• Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego, CA
• One Campus Martius, Detroit, MI: "Waiting"

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