他創作的巨型吹氣作品曾現身南韓首爾石村湖面，也曾出現在美國紐約梅西百貨的感恩節巡遊中；他畫筆下的角色被印在優衣庫T恤上發售，畫作更在拍賣中以破億港元成交……以下我們為您羅列出關于這位魅力席卷全球藝術界、現今正如日中天的藝術家——KAWS，您有必要知道的十大要點。
1
KAWS并非他的真名
生于1974年的KAWS，真正的名字是布萊恩·唐納利（Brian Donnelly）。他畢業于紐約視覺藝術學院插畫系，在藝壇成名前曾為多套動畫擔任背景畫師，例如迪士尼出品的《101斑點狗》（101 Dalmations），以及人氣卡通《Daria》和《阿德日記》（Doug）。唐納利年輕時便在紐澤西州和曼哈頓的建築物上塗上“KAWS”字樣的塗鴉，他選用“KAWS”一詞純粹因為喜歡這四個字母排列在一起的樣子。
KAWS（1974年生）《無題（阿童木）》，手繪樹脂，47 x 32 x 11.2 cm.，估價︰150,000 - 200,000 美元。此拍品正于即日至8月19日佳士得紐約“Trespassing”網上拍賣呈獻
2
他曾是塗鴉藝術家
不過，唐納利很快便舍棄這種簡單的塗鴉，改為開始在巴士站廣告上添加卡通化人物，發展出獨特的風格。他後來更在一系列絲網版畫中複制這些早期的創意廣告作品，其中包括一幅戲谑Calvin Klein的廣告：他畫出一個綠色的人物，擁抱廣告中的超模克莉絲蒂·杜靈頓（Christy Turlington）。
KAWS（1974年生） 《Ad Disruption（Prima/Paris）》， 壓克力 宣傳海報， 173.5 x 120.1 cm.，估價︰100,000 - 150,000 美元。此拍品正于即日至8月19日佳士得紐約“Trespassing”網上拍賣呈獻
唐納利的塗鴉背景令他的作品閱聽人甚廣，其中許多人甚至與藝術界毫不相幹。KAWS與大部分藝術家不同，他的藝術生涯并非始于畫廊；他深谙在街頭展示作品的好處，也明白大量生産作品能吸引支援者。随着他的支援者與日俱增，藏家與藝評家亦也慢慢開始注意到他。回想自己早期的塗鴉創作時，唐納利稱：“在塗鴉時我腦海中隻有一個念頭 ‘我隻想存在’ ，我想藉這種視覺語言存在于世界上……若我無法接觸大衆，那作畫并沒有意義。”
3
靠玩具成名
在著名玩具及街頭時裝品牌Bounty Hunter的邀請下，KAWS于1999年到訪日本，其後創作出首件玩具“COMPANION”（同伴）。
KAWS（1974 年生） 《COMPANION（KARIMOKU 版）》，木制限量作品，27 x 13 x 6 cm.，2011年作，估價：30,000 - 50,000 美元。此拍品正于即日至8月19日佳士得紐約“Trespassing”網上拍賣呈獻
限量500個的COMPANION玩具幾乎馬上售罄，這個形象亦成為KAWS作品中經常出現的角色。
4
現今如日中天
2019年3月，長121英尺（約307.34 cm.）的充氣COMPANION于巴塞爾藝術展（Art Basel）期間在香港維多利亞港展出。這個名為《KAWS：假期》（KAWS: HOLIDAY）的作品以40噸重的錨固定在海上，在香港展出前曾先後亮相首爾和台北，是KAWS近年聲名大噪的新作。
KAWS（1974年生） 《假期》，南韓首爾石村湖，2018年作。圖檔由KAWS和AllRightsReserved Ltd.提供
KAWS在2000年代已非常成功，而據2019年《Artnet藝術市場預測報告》指出，其作品的平均價格幾乎翻倍，由42,272美元升至82,063美元。2018年11月，KAWS共有5件作品以超過100萬美元的價格成交，而其作品的全年拍賣成交總額更超過3,300萬美元。
5
社交網站上的超高人氣
KAWS能在現代藝壇冒起成名，關鍵之一在于他在社交媒體非常受歡迎。在本文撰文之時，帶有#kaws标簽的Instagram帖文超過130萬則，遠超過傑夫·昆斯（Jeff Koons）的38.7萬則和達明安·赫斯特（Damien Hirst）的22.6萬則。專家估計原因之一也許是網上平台能如實呈現出KAWS作品的鮮明波普藝術風格，亦與其街頭藝術家出身有關。
KAWS（1974年生） 《CHUM（粉色）》，彩繪 銅雕 雕塑，52 (H) x 33 x 15.2 cm.，2009年作。2020年7月10日于佳士得香港現代及當代藝術晚間拍賣以3,000,000港元成交。藝術品：© KAWS
6
與巴斯奇亞和哈林相提并論
被策展人及藝術史學家Michael Auping形容為“克萊門特·格林伯格（Clement Greenberg）最可怕的噩夢”，KAWS被視為紐約藝壇的驚世才子，許多人更将他與尚·米榭·巴斯奇亞（Jean-Michel Basquiat）和凱斯·哈林（Keith Haring）兩位由街頭藝術起步的著名藝術家比較，更把KAWS與安迪·沃荷（Andy Warhol）及傑夫·昆斯相提并論，這兩位藝術家都深明藝術在機械生産化的時代所能産生的各種可能性。
KAWS（1974年生） 《Ups and Downs》，全套十幅彩色絲網印刷版畫，每幅︰89 x 58 cm.，估價：60,000 - 80,000 美元。此拍品正于即日至8月19日佳士得紐約“Trespassing”網上拍賣呈獻
KAWS曾提及啟發他的人物，包括克拉斯·歐登伯格（Claes Oldenburg）、湯姆·韋塞爾曼（Tom Wesselman）和村上隆等人，他更指村上隆的“接納和跨界項目”對他影響尤深。
7
以改造經典角色聞名
佳士得專家Noah Davis指出：“沒有卡通能逃得過被KAWS改造的命運。” KAWS以颠覆經典卡通人物聞名，進而展示自己對其普世文化價值的濃厚興趣，并強調在他的世界裡沒有“高等”和“低等”藝術之分。
KAWS（1974年生） 《辛普森家庭》，壓克力 畫布，分六部分。各部分尺寸：30.5 x 30.5 x 3.8 cm.，2005年作。2018年9月27日于佳士得紐約以516,500美元成交。藝術品：© KAWS
8
曾為梅西感恩節巡遊設計一個充氣作品
2012年，KAWS的COMPANION氣球在紐約梅西百貨感恩節巡遊上飄過曼哈頓的街頭：戴上手套的一雙大手掩着XX形的雙眼。COMPANION與米奇老鼠、超音鼠等卡通人物同場出現，進一步證明KAWS能将藝術轉化成大衆喜愛的精彩作品。
9
跨界作品
KAWS于2000年代初成功推出時裝品牌Original Fake後，便開始與Bathing Ape和Supreme等多個極受歡迎的街頭服品牌合作。在2008年，他為歌手Kanye West的專輯《808s & Heartbreak》設計封面，最近更設計了自己專屬的Nike Air Jordan球鞋。
KAWS（1974年生） 《Plush BFF x Dior（黑、粉紅）》，滌綸 毛絨 迪奧牛仔服及西裝，共兩件。每件：45.7(H) x 25 x 10 cm.，2019年作。2020年7月11日于佳士得香港現代及當代藝術日間拍賣以250,000港元成交。藝術品：© KAWS
2019年的巴黎時裝周上，Dior設計師Kim Jones推出2019年春夏系列，當中包括KAWS演繹的Dior經典蜜蜂圖案，同場更展出一個33呎高、由粉紅色鮮花堆砌而成的KAWS經典人物“BFF”，這尊雕塑後來更縮小成身穿迷你Dior西裝的限量版玩具。
KAWS亦曾與坎帕納兄弟（Campana brothers）合作推出一系列鋪滿布偶的ji，并在巴塞爾藝術展邁阿密展會推出，随即被Travis Scott與Kylie Jenner悉數購藏。
10
他的作品售價從十幾美元到上百萬美元不等
KAWS與曾共同創立Bathing Ape、現在擔任優衣庫生活時尚副線UT創意總監的NIGO合作，目前的作品系列包括T裇、衛衣、連帽衛衣和玩具，全部重新刻劃兒童節目《芝麻街》（Sesame Street）的角色。系列産品售價均在50美元以下，并以 “You’re never too old for the street” 為宣傳口号。
KAWS（1974年生） 《CHUM（KCB7）》，壓克力 畫布 畫闆，213.3 x 172.7 cm.，2012年作。2018年11月15日于佳士得紐約以2,412,500美元成交。藝術品：© KAWS
與之形成鮮明對比的是，佳士得也曾于2018年11月在紐約戰後及當代藝術晚間拍賣中，以高達2,412,500美元拍出KAWS的2012年畫作《CHUM (KCB7)》，成交價幾乎為拍前高估價的五倍之多。
10 things to know about KAWS
The artist is taking the art world by storm — his giant inflatables have graced a lake in Seoul and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, his characters feature on T-shirts, and his paintings sell for eight-figure sums at auction
1KAWS is not his real name
Brian Donnelly (b. 1974) studied illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York. Before he achieved success as an artist he worked as a background painter on animated series such as Disney’s 101 Dalmations, and cult shows Daria and Doug.
2KAWS started out as a graffiti artist
From an early age Donnelly was known for marking buildings in New Jersey and Manhattan with ‘KAWS’, a tag he chose because he liked the way the letters looked together. He soon moved on from this simple tag, however, and developed a unique style that involved adding cartoon-like figures to bus-shelter advertisements.
Later, he would replicate these early works of ‘subvertising’ in a series of screenprint lithographs. These included a mock Calvin Klein ad, featuring supermodel Christy Turlington being embraced by a green figure.
His origins in graffiti brought his work to a diverse audience, many of whom had nothing to do with the art world. Unlike most artists, KAWS did not start out with a gallery; he was fully aware of the benefits of showing his work in the street and mass-producing pieces in order to build a following. This following became so big that it attracted the attention of collectors and critics.
Speaking of his early days as a graffiti artist, Donnelly said, ‘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.’
3KAWS made his name with toys
In 1999 KAWS visited Japan after being approached by Bounty Hunter, the cult toy and streetwear brand. He would go on to create his first toy, ‘COMPANION’.
Produced in an edition of 500, the toys sold out almost immediately, and COMPANION became a recurring figure in KAWS’s work.
4KAWS is having a moment
In March 2019, a 121-foot-long inflatable version of KAWS’s COMPANION was installed in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour during Art Basel. Anchored by a 40-ton weight, versions of the piece — dubbed KAWS: HOLIDAY — were previously on view in Seoul and Taipei, and mark the latest step in the artist’s rise to fame over recent years.
Although KAWS was successful in the 2000s, the 2019 Artnet Intelligence Report reports that in 2017 his average sale price almost doubled, from $42,272 to $82,063. In November 2018, five KAWS pieces sold for more than $1 million, and across the year his work realised over $33.8 million at auction.
5He’s big on Instagram
KAWS’s success on social media has been a big factor in his surge to the forefront of the contemporary art world. At the time of writing, more than 900,000 posts bearing the hashtag #kaws had been posted on Instagram, compared to 300,000 for Jeff Koons and 192,000 for Damien Hirst. Specialists have speculated that this could partly be down to the fact that his bright, Pop-art style reproduces faithfully online, but this popularity can also be attributed to KAWS’s origins as a street artist.
6KAWS and the comparisons to Basquiat and Haring
Described by curator and art historian Michael Auping as ‘[Clement] Greenberg’s worst nightmare’, KAWS is seen as the enfant terrible of the New York art world. Many have compared him to Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, whose own inimitable styles started out on the street, as well as Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons, who both had an instinctive understanding of the possibilities of art in the age of mechanical reproduction.
KAWS has name-checked his influences, which vary from Claes Oldenburg and Tom Wesselman to Takashi Murakami, the latter in terms of what the artist describes as ‘acceptance and crossover projects’.
7He’s known for appropriating beloved characters
No cartoon is safe from being consumed and turned into KAWS: the artist is known for subverting iconic cartoon heroes and in doing so he demonstrates his interest in the characters’ universal cultural value, reinforcing the idea that he makes no distinction between concepts of ‘high’ and ‘low’ art.
8He once designed a float for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
In 2012 a KAWS COMPANION balloon was seen floating down the streets of Manhattan as part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, its XX eyes covered by large gloved hands. Its appearance alongside characters as Mickey Mouse and Sonic the Hedgehog provided further proof of KAWS’s ability to transform art into a spectacle for mass consumption.
9KAWS and collaboration
After successfully launching his own fashion label, Original Fake, in the early 2000s, KAWS began working with a number of cult streetwear labels, including Bathing Ape and Supreme.
In 2019, Paris Fashion Week saw Dior designer Kim Jones debut his Spring/Summer 2019 collection with a KAWS interpretation of the fashion house’s iconic bee design, set against the backdrop of a 33-ft tall pink flower sculpture of KAWS’s ‘BFF’ character, reproduced as an editioned toy in a mini Dior suit.
KAWS has also collaborated with the Campana brothers on a range of furniture covered in plush toys, which debuted at Art Basel Miami and was immediately snapped up by Travis Scott and Kylie Jenner.
10KAWS’s work sells for as little as $15 and as much as $3.8 million
Recently, KAWS teamed up with NIGO, originally of Bathing Ape fame and creative director of Uniqlo's LifeWear UT line. His collection with the Japanese brand saw him redrawing beloved Sesame Street characters on a collection of T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and toys. All priced under $50, the pieces featured the tagline, ‘You’re never too old for the street’.
In contrast, in a monumental triptych IN THE WOODS (2002) sold for $3,855,000 in 2019 at Christie’s in New York — more than double its high estimate.
溫欽畫廊私洽代理國際頂流藝術家的原作（如果客戶有其他特定藝術家作品的需求，我們會用海外藝術資源為您尋找）:
巴勃羅·畢加索 Pablo Picasso,安迪.沃霍爾, 文森特.梵高Vincent Gogh, 亨利.馬蒂斯Henri Matisse, 弗裡達·卡羅 F.KAHLO, 格哈德·裡希特 G.Richter, 威廉·阿道夫·布格羅 W A Bouguereau, 馬克·夏加爾M. Chagall, 克勞德·莫奈 C.Monet, 倫勃朗·哈爾曼松·凡·萊因 Rembrandt, 圭爾奇諾 Guercino, 馬蒂亞·普雷蒂 Preti, 翁貝特·波丘尼 U. Boccioni, 魯西奧·芳塔納 L.Fontana, 弗朗西斯·培根 F. Bacon, 讓-米歇爾.巴斯奎特J.M.Basquiat, 拉斐爾·桑西 Raffaello, 卡納列托 A. Canaletto, 保羅·委羅内塞 Veronese, 皮埃爾.奧古斯特.雷諾阿 P.A. Renoir, 保羅.塞尚P.Cezanne, 雷尼·馬格利特 R.Magritte, 薩爾瓦多.達利 S. Dali, 阿梅代奧.莫迪利亞尼 A.Modigliani, 希羅尼穆斯·博斯 H.Bosch, 弗朗西斯科.戈雅 F.Goya, 彼得.保羅.魯本斯 P.P. Rubens, 丁托列托 Tintoretto, 弗朗索瓦·布歇 F. Boucher, 安東尼·凡·克 A.Van Dyck, 弗朗西斯柯·德·蘇巴朗 F. Zurbaran, 草間彌生, Kaws, 奈良美智, 趙無極等