Kaws

Brian Donnelly (KAWS) has always been one of my favorite artists/designers of all time. Upon graduating from the School of Visual Arts in New York in 1996, Kaws initially began working for Disney as a freelance animator. While at Disney, Kaws contributed in various films such as 101 Dalmatians, Daria, and Doug.

Kaws also led a career as a graffiti artist in both New Jersey and New York, focusing on subverting the images on bus shelters, phone booth advertisements, and billboards. Soon after his notoriety and popularity reached heights never before expected and these ads became increasingly sought after by the public. 

Most recently Kaws has designed toys and clothing for prominent brands such as Original Fake, A Bathing Ape, Undercover, Nike, Vans, and Comme des Garcons. In the early 2000s, Kaws also reworked many familiar television and cartoon icons such as characters from The Simpsons, Mickey Mouse, the Michelin Man, Smurfts, and Squarebob Squarepants. 

One of the more popular Kaws sculpture is that of a gray scale figure based on the Mickey Mouse whose face is obscured by both hands. This image was even incorporated into a balloon for the 2012 Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. In 2013, Kaws's company redesigned MTV's moon man statue for their 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.

Kaws Video