KAWS

KAWS (Jersey City, New Jersey, 1974).
“The Nature of Need,” 2012.
Exhibition poster printed in color on paper.
Produced for the exhibition held at Galerie Perrotin, Hong Kong, from May 15 to June 30, 2012.
It has a tear along the right edge, slightly damaged corners, and small creases.
Measurements: 77 x 50 cm.

Poster for the exhibition “The Nature of Need,” held at Galerie Perrotin in Hong Kong in 2012, which features some of the most recognizable elements of KAWS’s visual universe. The composition depicts two cartoon-style arms, topped by white gloves bearing the artist’s signature crosses. The image reflects KAWS’s interest in transforming the visual codes of popular culture, appropriating characters and graphic elements from comics and cartoons to explore issues related to identity, vulnerability, and consumer society.

KAWS, the pseudonym of Brian Donnelly, is one of the most renowned American artists of his generation. He began his career in graffiti and developed his own artistic language that encompasses painting, sculpture, design, and graphic art. His work has been featured in major institutional exhibitions, such as “Companionship in the Age of Loneliness” at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne (2019) and “KAWS: What Party” at the Brooklyn Museum in New York (2021).