KAWS - 20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, Afternoon Session New York Wednesday, November 15, 2023 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Honor Fraser Gallery, Los Angeles
    Phillips, New York, May 10, 2016, lot 247
    Private Collection (acquired at the above sale)
    Carmichael Gallery, Tampa
    Acquired from the above by the present owner

  • Exhibited

    Los Angles, Honor Fraser Gallery, KAWS – Hold The Line, September 10–October 22, 2011

  • 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

369

UNTITLED (HTLC8)

signed and dated "KAWS..11" on the reverse
acrylic on canvas
diameter 20 in. (50.8 cm)
Painted in 2011.

Estimate
$100,000 - 150,000 

Contact Specialist

Patrizia Koenig 
Specialist, Head of Sale, Afternoon Session
+1 212 940 1279 
pkoenig@phillips.com 

20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, Afternoon Session

New York Auction 15 November 2023