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.