KAWS - Intersect: Online Auction Hong Kong Tuesday, September 1, 2020 | Phillips

Create your first list.

Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.

    • 2011

    • (i) signed and dated 'KAWS..11' lower right; numbered '45/100' lower left
      (ii) signed and dated 'KAWS..11' lower right; numbered '94/100' lower left
      (iii) signed and dated 'KAWS..11' lower right; numbered '27/100' lower left

    • screenprint in colours on wove paper

    • each sheet 50.8 x 50.8 cm. (20 x 20 in.)
      each frame 54.3 x 54.3 cm. (21 3/8 x 21 3/8 in.)

    • (i) Executed in 2011, this work is number 45 from edition of 100.
      (ii) Executed in 2011, this work is number 94 from edition of 100.
      (iii) Executed in 2011, this work is number 27 from edition of 100.

  • Provenance

    (i-iii)
    KAWSONE.COM
    Acquired from the above by the present owner

  • Exhibited

    Berlin, me Collectors Room Berlin, ART & TOYS: Collection Selim Varol, 26 May – 16 September 2012 (another example exhibited)

  • Catalogue Essay

    Drawing from the nostalgic warmth of a universally familiar subject that is well cherished by many, in KAWSBOB, KAWS reimagines the pop-icon hero, injecting his signature aesthetic into each composition as he blurs the distinction between ‘high’ art and contemporary culture. Each depiction of the goofy cartoon figure is bluntly cropped, offering no context as to why the protagonist of Nickelodeon’s highest-ever rated series is pulling the emotive faces he is. Despite being portrayed with his recognisable turned up nose and two buck teeth, KAWS claims the character as his own by obliterating his googly eyes with the artist’s signature X-motifs, which as the widely functioning symbol that alludes to drunkenness or poison, compromises the animated figure’s characteristically optimistic persona. As such, KAWS infuses the icon with witty critical discourse, leaving it ‘up to us to decide whether these are homages or criticisms.’ (Mónica Ramírez-Montagut, KAWS, exh. brochure, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, 2010, online).

    Rendered in three colourways: one truly mimicking the iconic yellow, as well as a red and black version that each offer a more subtle tone-on-tone effect, KAWS demonstrates his masterful command of graphic line that straddles both traditional illustration as well as a more expressive abstraction. Through his ingenious appropriations of beloved animated heroes, as depicted in the present work, KAWS has caught the attention of collectors worldwide, as well as a devoted global audience that includes over 3 million Instagram followers. Widely celebrated for his multidisciplinary practice that incorporates painting, sculpture, and print-making, KAWS’s works have found their place in the permanent collections of numerous prestigious institutions, including the Brooklyn Museum in New York, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in Texas, the CAC Malaga in Spain, and the Rosenblum Collection in Paris.

  • Artist Biography

    KAWS

    American • 1974

    To 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.  

    View More Works

8

Three Works: KAWSBOB (i) (Red); (ii) (Yellow); (iii) (Black)

2011
(i) signed and dated 'KAWS..11' lower right; numbered '45/100' lower left
(ii) signed and dated 'KAWS..11' lower right; numbered '94/100' lower left
(iii) signed and dated 'KAWS..11' lower right; numbered '27/100' lower left

screenprint in colours on wove paper
each sheet 50.8 x 50.8 cm. (20 x 20 in.)
each frame 54.3 x 54.3 cm. (21 3/8 x 21 3/8 in.)

(i) Executed in 2011, this work is number 45 from edition of 100.
(ii) Executed in 2011, this work is number 94 from edition of 100.
(iii) Executed in 2011, this work is number 27 from edition of 100.

Estimate
HK$300,000 - 400,000 
€32,800-43,700
$38,500-51,300

Sold for HK$437,500

Contact Specialist

Delissa Handoko

Associate Specialist, Head of Online Sales, Hong Kong, 20th Century & Contemporary Art

+852 2318 2013

DHandoko@phillips.com

 

Thomas Perazzi

Head of Watches, Asia

+852 2318 2001

WatchesHK@phillips.com

 

Yoki Chan

Junior Specialist, Jewels, Hong Kong

+852 2318 2036

JewelleryHK@phillips.com

Intersect: Online Auction

Online Auction 2 - 14 September 2020