Brian Donnelly, better known by his artist name KAWS, is the rising enfant terrible of the New York contemporary art scene. Before KAWS became the talk of the town, he embarked his artistic career as a street graffiti artist while residing in his hometown Jersey City. His graffiti illustrations on the trains, bridges, bus stops, phone booths and billboards around New York quickly gained fame. After receiving his BFA at the School of Visual Arts in New York, KAWS was hired as a freelance animator for Disney. Towards the end of the 1990s, he visited Japan, where he was influenced to start his own brand of clothing and toy figurines. Starting with his first creation titled ‘Companion’, his limited edition vinyl toys became a global sensation.
As shown in the lot Small Lie, KAWS was inspired by well-known, iconic cartoon characters to integrate recognizable features such as Pinocchio’s elongated nose and Mickey Mouse’s protruding ears, white gloves, dungarees and boots. The figurine’s slouching shoulders, bowing head and inward facing legs resemble the pose of a child in guilt from telling a “small lie”. In addition to his toy sculptures, KAWS’s tweaked appropriations of popular cartoon imagery such as Spongebob Squarepants and the Simpsons are also highly sought-after as their familiarity appeals to a wide age range of fans.
Related Articles
Sorry, we are unable to display this content. Please check your connection.
More from
Contemporary Art Asia: Including a Collection of Works by Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita
You have agreed to be bound by the Conditions of Sale and if your bid is successful, you are legally obliged to pay for the lot you have won. The purchase price for a successful bid will be the sum of your final bid plus a buyer’s premium, any applicable taxes and any artist resale royalty, exclusive of shipping-related expenses.
Condition report
A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.
The condition of lots can vary widely and the nature of the lots sold means that they are unlikely to be in a perfect condition. Lots are sold in the condition they are in at the time of sale.
All three works are with unopened original packaging. It is in our opinion that all three works are in good conditions.
Print Report
Cost calculator
Enter your bid amount for an estimated cost
Bid amount
Please enter numbers onlyAmount must be higher than the starting bidAmount must be higher than the current bid