KAWS to hold a large exhibition in 2021 under the theme of “Return to the Origin”. Tracing the evolution of KAWS over the past 20 years since its first solo exhibition in Japan in 2001.

New York-based artist KAWS will hold a major exhibition “KAWS TOKYO FIRST” at Mori Arts Center Gallery from July 16 to October 11, 2021. The title “KAWS TOKYO FIRST” is the same as the title of his first solo exhibition in Japan, held at Shibuya Parco in 2001, and it is intended as a “return to the basics” to trace the trajectory of his creation and evolution 20 years later.

KAWS works across all genres, including graffiti, painting, graphic design, industrial design, and collaborations with fashion brands such as “UNIQLO” and “A BATHING APE”, as well as luxury brands such as “Dior”. On the other hand, in recent years he has also gained a high reputation in the world of fine art.

This is the first large-scale exhibition of its kind in Japan, and it traces KAWS’s unique approach to artistic creation through about 70 paintings, statues, and products from his past works. In addition, KAWS will exhibit works by artists who have influenced him from his private collection.

KAWS
Born in 1974 in New Jersey, he emerged as a graffiti artist in the early 1990s and later studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York from 1993 to 1996. He became well known for his work on advertising on bus stop signs, and became a member of the graffiti art world in the 1990s. He has a strong relationship with Japan, and after visiting Tokyo in 1996 and experiencing Tokyo’s subculture, he became involved in street art projects. In the first half of 2021, he is planning an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum.

■KAWS TOKYO FIRST
Date：July 16 – October 11, 2021
Venue：MORI ARTS CENTER GALLERY
Address：6-1-10 Minato-ku Roppongi Tokyo
www.kaws-tokyo-first.jp