KAWS - 20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale London Wednesday, October 21, 2020 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Zalman Galley, New York
    Acquired from the above by the present owner

  • Exhibited

    New York, Zalman Gallery, KAWS

  • Literature

    Brian Donnelly, Germano Celant, Gary Panter, Harry Philbrick and Mónica Ramírez-Montagut, KAWS: 1993 - 2010, New York, 2010, p. 119 (illustrated)

  • 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.  

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Ж127

UNTITLED (MOSCHINO)

signed and dated 'KAWS..97©' lower right
acrylic on existing advertising poster
127 x 66 cm (50 x 25 7/8 in.)
Executed in 1997.

Estimate
£30,000 - 50,000 

Sold for £226,800

Contact Specialist

Tamila Kerimova
Specialist, Head of Day Sale, Director

20th Century & Contemporary Art

+44 20 7318 4065
tkerimova@phillips.com

20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale

London Auction 21 October 2020