KAWS - Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale Hong Kong Saturday, June 1, 2024 | Phillips
  • Provenance

    Private Collection
    SBI Art Auction, Tokyo, 3 November 2018, lot 55
    Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

  • 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

176

UNTITLED (CHUM), PACKAGE PAINTING SERIES (SM1)

signed, titled and dated 'KAWS 2000 "SM 1"' on the reverse
acrylic on canvas in blister package with printed card
59.7 x 48.3 x 8 cm. (23 x 19 x 3 in.)
Executed in 2000.

Estimate
HK$400,000 - 600,000 
€47,200-70,800
$51,300-76,900

Sold for HK$508,000

Contact Specialist

Anastasia Salnikoff
Associate Specialist, Head of Day Sale
+852 2318 2014
anastasiasalnikoff@phillips.com
 

Modern & Contemporary Art Day Sale

Hong Kong Auction 1 June 2024