Kaws

동시대 미술에 가장 영향력 있는 작가로 손꼽히는 카우스 (b. 1974)는 팝아트의 전통을 자신만의 예술적 언어로 확고히 다져왔다. 미술사, 대중문화, 애니메이션 등에서 다양한 영감의 원천을 얻는 카우스는 누구나 쉽게 이해하고 즐길 수 있는 이미지의 보편적 가치를 강조하고 자신만의 위트를 더한다. 특히 이미지의 특성을 보다 강렬한 색상과 선으로 독특하게 창조해내는 그의 일관적 특징은 회화, 벽화, 대형 설치작품, 조각, 패션, 장난감, 프린트 등 수많은 미디엄을 넘나들며 발전되었고, 이는 미술을 넘어 디자인, 상업 상품 시장까지 카우스 만의 독자적 시장을 형성하도록 이끌었다. 이러한 성공에는 카우스 작품 세계에 가장 뿌리깊은 근간이 되는 그래피티를 빼놓을 수 없다. 카우스는 “그래피티를 하고 있을 때, 내가 하는 모든 생각은 ‘나는 단지 존재하기를 원한다’는 것 이었다. 나는 이 시각적 언어로 세상에 존재하기를 원한다... 사람들에게 다가가지 않는다면 그림을 그리는 것은 나에게 아무 의미도 없었다” 라고 고백한 바 있다.  작가는 이러한 정신을 현재까지 굳건히 이어감으로써, 자신의 시각적 세계가 진정한 소통을 이끄는 문이 되는 동시에 예술사에서 그래피티 만의 힘을 새롭게 증명한다. 

Recognized as one of the most influential artists in contemporary art, Kaws (b. 1974) has firmly established his legacy through a captivating artistic style. Fascinated by art history, pop culture, and animation, Kaws creates a universal, cultural language through his iconic characters that anyone can relate to and enjoy, and often displaying his wit. His signature cartoonish images, emphasizing lines and colors, have been showcased through numerous mediums including paintings, murals, monumental installations, sculpture series, fashion, toys, and prints. The success has inspired him to expand into commercial design and products beyond the art world. 

Throughout his prolific career development, Kaw’s graffiti origin played a pivotal role. Kaws once mentioned, “When I was doing graffiti, my whole thought was, ‘I just want to exist.’ I want to exist with this visual language in the world… It meant nothing to me to make paintings if I wasn’t reaching people.” By bringing this spirit to life, Kaws not only demonstrates the power of graffiti, but also provides people with a way to connect.

Born in 1974 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

Lives and works in Brooklyn, New York, USA

Education 

1996  BFA School of Visual Arts, New York, USA

Selected Solo Shows 

2019

KAWS: HE EATS ALONE, Fire Station, Qatar Museums, Doha, Qatar 

KAWS: BLACKOUT, Skarstedt, London, United Kingdom  

KAWS: COMPANIONSHIP IN THE AGE OF LONELINESS, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia

KAWS: ALONE AGAIN, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Detroit, USA

KAWS: ALONG THE WAY, HOCA Foundation, Hong Kong

2018

KAWS: CLEAN SLATE, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, USA
KAWS: GONE, Skarstedt, New York, USA
KAWS: HOLIDAY, Seokchon Lake, Seoul, South Korea
KAWS, Galerie Perrotin, Tokyo, Japan

2017

FAR FAR DOWN, Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis, St. Louis, USA

WHERE THE END STARTS, Yuz Museum, Shanghai, China

2016

WHERE THE END STARTS, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, USA

KAWS: BFF, Central Embassy, Bangkok, Thailand
KAWS: GISWIL, More Gallery, Giswil, Switzerland

Selected Group Shows 

2019

Paintings & Sculptures, Skarstedt, New York, USA

Inaugural Exhibition, Skarstedt 64th Street, New York, USA

2018

Approaching The Figure, Skarstedt, New York, USA

2016

Character, V1 Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark

Holdings: Selections from MCASD's Collection, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla, USA

Greek Gotham, Dio Horia Gallery, Mykonos, Greece

A Material Legacy: The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Collection of Contemporary Art, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham, USA

2015

A Shared Space: KAWS, Karl Wirsum, Tomoo Gokita, Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane University, New Orleans, USA

Respect, Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, Málaga, Spain

Public Collections

Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA

CAC Malaga, Malaga, Spain

City Museum, St. Louis, MO, USA

Hall Art Foundation, Reading, VT, USA

High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA, USA

Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, TX, USA

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, CA, USA

Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Durham, NC, USA

Pizzuti Collection, Columbus, OH, USA

Rosenblum Collection, Paris

Zabludowicz Collection, London, UK