X KAWS X
X KAWS X
Despite what you may have thought, graffiti artist Brian Donnelly aka KAWS, is not a disgruntled ex-employee of the Walt Disney Corporation. Oh wait...yes...he kind of is! Well at least the part about him being an ex-employee; the disgruntled part remains unconfirmed.
KAWS recognized his first interest in graffiti at about 12 years old; at the time he knew nothing about New York's graff world. Hailing from Jersey City, KAWS attended New York's School of Visual Arts. Shortly after graduation he took on a job working freelance as an animator for Disney **cough** disgruntled**cough**.
Over the years his notoriety has grown, along with the challenge. These days KAWS can be found cursing on street corners after being undermined by detractors and fans; often collectors take his posters before he himself even has a chance to snap a shot of them. It's a hard knocks life for KAWS…so good thing he's well on his way to building a profitable toy empire which should help warm his pockets on those long winter nights spent bombing bus shelter posters all over the big apple.
And now for the timeline:
1974 - Somewhere in New York state an X-eyed baby cries for his mother, KAWS is born.
1992-1996 KAWS began developing his style of adding original graffiti to advertisements and billboards. Sources we don't care to state claim he was given a key which allowed him to open the advertising windows in phone booths.
1998 - On a day, on some week, during a certain month at some point in the year 1998, he was awarded with the Pernod Liquid Art award.
1999 - Release of first toy, A Companion; and first book, Exposed.
2000 - In collaboration with Real Mad Hectic, KAWS releases the X Miffy plush toy...allegedly(allegedly due to the fact that we have no idea if this date in the timeline is in any way accurate).
However, we can accurately say that in both January and October of the year 2000, he had window installations at the Museum of Contemporary Art in New York.
2001 - (Insert tumble weed)... at least as far as toys go
He did come out with Arkitip #11 magazine which came with eight Kimpsons trading cards. The Kimpsons bore an uncanny resemblance to the Simpsons characters, had they died and gone to X-eyed purgatory.
He also had an installation at PARCO in Japan.
2002 - The first four LEGO-like Kubrick Bus Stop sets are released. Complete with a glass bus shelter and two figurines, these sets even have mini KAWS posters and bus schedules.
KAWS C10: The Paintings of KAWS was put out by Neverstop in an edition of 3000.
Chum toy released through 360 Toy Group. This latest character bearing distinct similarities to the Michelin Tire Man, became available in 5 colourways.
2003 - 2005 Some of KAWS' best years. With them came the release of the 100%, and 400% "Chomper", and wood Be@rbricks, Bendies, Blitzs, bronze and glow-in-the-dark Companions, as well as KAWS X BAPE figurines of Milo, Gutan and Alf.
KAWS releases the Accomplice toy in two limited editions. He also held an exhibit at the BAPE Gallery in Tokyo in 2003.
2006- Present Involved in a series of collaborations with various organizations, KAWS has managed to come out with a variety of different products ranging from skateboards, sneakers, snowboards and even a bikini. All this, on top of having opened up a boutique in Tokyo.
