KAWS at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

KAWS and his unique work has been shown in the public realm all over the world! He has collaborated with international brands and music artists. In addition to clothing and other items, he has made limited edition vinyl toys since the late 1990s, including with Japanese company Medicom Toy and his own company OriginalFake.

So Kaws has it pretty much going on! Now he has decided to don his wellies and bring his giant sculptures to the open air and the scenic Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP). This is his first UK museum exhibition and we are very much excited! The exhibition includes over 20 works: commanding sculptures in bronze, fibreglass, aluminium and wood alongside large, bright canvases immaculately rendered in acrylic paint – some created especially for the exhibition.

In the 1990s, KAWS conceived the soft skull with crossbones and crossed-out eyes which would become his signature iconography, subverting and abstracting cartoon figures.

Against the Park’s tree line, the group of six works in natural and black-stained wood, measuring between six and 10 metres in height will be spectacular pointing to an array of psychological narratives, suggesting compassion, surprise and despair.

In Longside Gallery, KAWS’s will show works including ACCOMPLICE (2010), a baby pink monstrous rabbit figure…

…a neon pink CHUM (2009), a bulbous figure, and the spermatozoa-like BORN TO BEND (2013), while COMPANION (RESTING PLACE) (2013), and the three-metre-high COMPANION (ORIGINALFAKE) (2006) from the artist’s Tokyo store, with its skin peeled back to reveal highly coloured internal organs. HE EATS ALONE (2014), fabricated in Corian and aluminium is a hybrid sculpture/painting, while UPS AND DOWNS (2012), the artist’s series of 10 acrylic canvases, point towards SpongeBob.Yay!

The artist has made a series of five paintings especially for the exhibition. Each measuring 112 x 92 inches, they will span the largest wall of the spacious gallery.

Take a peak at the setting up and GraffitiStreet will be back with all the pictures from the Yorkshire Dales…

This behind-the-scenes preview shows the installation of KAWS’ ten-metre-tall sculpture SMALL LIE (2013) ahead of the opening of new Yorkshire Sculpture Park exhibition (6 February 2016–12 June 2016).

A great exhibition not to be missed! See you there…

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