125
KAWS
UNTITLED (CLOUD)
- Estimate
- HK$250,000 - 350,000€29,800 - 41,700$32,100 - 44,900
Lot Details
pencil and marker on paper
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
One of the leading figures of 21st Century popular culture, KAWS’s multi-disciplinary practice and instantly identifiable aesthetic has earned him recognition across the globe. His prolific body of work straddles the worlds of art and design to include paintings, sculptures, prints and even product design.
The present work was included in KAWS’s 2010 exhibition at Harbour City in Hong Kong. Entitled KAWS: PASSING THROUGH, this was the artist’s first exhibition in Greater China. Regarded as a breakthrough milestone for the artist, the exhibition debuted his first large-scale public sculpture featuring one of his most well-known characters, COMPANION. In addition to his popular limited edition vinyl toys, this unique and exceptionally rare work on paper was one of a series of 13 hand-drawn pieces especially created for the exhibition, all of which depict cotton candy-like clouds bearing the signature ‘X’ eyes. The artist’s intricate handiwork is clearly demonstrated in the clean graphic lines, showcasing a mastery of the medium that stems from his early renegade interventions featuring billboards and bus shelter advertisements. With an artistic style reminiscent of his Pop Art predecessors such as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, KAWS has created an instantly recognisable visual lexicon uniquely his own that continues to attest to his relevance in our contemporary age.
The present work was included in KAWS’s 2010 exhibition at Harbour City in Hong Kong. Entitled KAWS: PASSING THROUGH, this was the artist’s first exhibition in Greater China. Regarded as a breakthrough milestone for the artist, the exhibition debuted his first large-scale public sculpture featuring one of his most well-known characters, COMPANION. In addition to his popular limited edition vinyl toys, this unique and exceptionally rare work on paper was one of a series of 13 hand-drawn pieces especially created for the exhibition, all of which depict cotton candy-like clouds bearing the signature ‘X’ eyes. The artist’s intricate handiwork is clearly demonstrated in the clean graphic lines, showcasing a mastery of the medium that stems from his early renegade interventions featuring billboards and bus shelter advertisements. With an artistic style reminiscent of his Pop Art predecessors such as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, KAWS has created an instantly recognisable visual lexicon uniquely his own that continues to attest to his relevance in our contemporary age.
Provenance
Exhibited
Literature
KAWS
American | 1974To understand the work of KAWS is to understand his roots in the skateboard and graffiti crews of New York City. Brian Donnelly chose KAWS as his moniker to tag city streets beginning in the 1990s, and quickly became a celebrated standout in the scene. Having swapped spray paint for explorations in fine art spanning sculpture, painting and collage, KAWS has maintained a fascination with classic cartoons, including Garfield, SpongeBob SquarePants and The Simpsons, and reconfigured familiar subjects into a world of fantasy. Perhaps he is most known for his larger-than-life fiberglass sculptures that supplant the body of Mickey Mouse onto KAWS' own imagined creatures, often with 'x'-ed out eyes or ultra-animated features. However, KAWS also works frequently in neon and vivid paint, adding animation and depth to contemporary paintings filled with approachable imagination. There is mass appeal to KAWS, who exhibits globally and most frequently in Asia, Europe and the United States.
Browse Artist