KAWS. FAMILY

Marking KAWS’s first major museum exhibition on the West Coast, KAWS: FAMILY explores the playful and poignant artistic universe created by the artist and traces his output over the past three decades through its keen ability to connect to shared emotions and culture. Through more than 100 works that tap into the nostalgia and familiarity of universal archetypes and commercial brands, the exhibition captures the artist’s agility at blending old and new, grit and whimsy, and emotion and wit as he breaks down the barrier between popular culture and fine art. From paintings, drawings, and sculptures to advertising interventions, product collaborations, and collectible toys, visitors will encounter the many creative expressions of KAWS’s distinctive language using recurring characters and pop culture appropriations.

At the heart of the exhibition is FAMILY (2021), a larger-than-life bronze sculpture that portrays KAWS’s beloved characters COMPANION, BFF, and CHUM grouped as an intimate family unit. Through their gestures of closeness and vulnerability, visitors can see themselves reflected in these figures, creating a shared sense of kinship and empathy. Borrowing from popular animated characters and cultural icons, KAWS’s characters recontextualize familiar imagery, creating a dialogue around cultural memory and contemporary life.

More information: SFMOMA