The exhibition The Way I See It: Selections from the KAWS Collection presents over 350 works of art that KAWS has carefully selected from his impressive personal collection of more than 3,000 works on paper and over 500 artists.

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The Way I See It: Selections from the KAWS Collection
The Way I See It: Selections from the KAWS Collection

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This exhibition continues the Drawing Center's tradition of showing outstanding drawings from public and private collections, while providing an unprecedented insight into the creative inspirations and personal interests of one of the most influential artists of our time.

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The Way I See It: Selections from the KAWS Collection
The Way I See It: Selections from the KAWS Collection

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KAWS, whose real name is Brian Donnelly, is an internationally acclaimed artist and designer who has become known for his signature pop culture references, iconic sculptures, and colorful paintings.

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Lee Quiñones - Hagar the Horrible (1978) / Hot Rod from Hell (1977)
Lee Quiñones - Hagar the Horrible (1978)/Hot Rod from Hell (1977)

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The exhibition covers the 20th and 21st centuries and shows an impressive variety of artists and styles. The term “drawing” is deliberately broadly defined to include comics, commercial illustrations and graffiti sketches.

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Raymond Pettibon - Untitled (1990) - The Way I See It: Selections from the KAWS Collection
Raymond Pettibon - Untitled (1990) - The Way I See It: Selections from the KAWS Collection

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Louis Wain - The Way I See It: Selections from the KAWS Collection
Louis Wain - The Way I See It: Selections from the KAWS Collection

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By challenging existing hierarchies, “The Way I See It” radically expands our understanding of what makes a great work of art.

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The Way I See It: Selections from the KAWS Collection
The Way I See It: Selections from the KAWS Collection

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The works on display include works by abstract expressionist Willem de Kooning as well as those by autodidactic masters such as Martín Ramírez, Henry Darger and Adolf Wölfli. Iconic works by comic artists such as R. Crumb can also be found here.

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Tomoo Gokita - Untitled (2010)

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A particular highlight of the exhibition is the focus on KAWS' impressive collection of works by artists such as Peter Saul, H.C. Westermann, Helen Rae and Susan Te Kahurangi King.

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Helen Rae - Untitled (2017)

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In addition, the exhibition offers rare insights into works that are often underrepresented in the traditional art canon. These include outstanding works by renowned American graffiti artists such as DONDI, SERVE and FUTURA 2000.

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The exhibition not only celebrates the diversity and complexity of drawing, but also recognizes the power with which it crosses cultural, social and personal borders.

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“The Way I See It” celebrates drawing as a medium in all its breadth and diversity, while at the same time taking a fascinating look at the complex sources of inspiration of an exceptional artist.

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William A. Hall - Franchised Prototype Communities Functionalize a Healthier World (2012)
William A. Hall - Franchised Prototype Communities Functionalize a Healthier World (2012)

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The Way I See It: Selections from the KAWS Collection

The Drawing Center
35 Wooster Street, NY,
NY 10013

October 10, 2024 — January 19, 2025

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Robert Crumb - Every street's a boulevard in old New York - The Moonlight March (Sketchbook) (1964)
Robert Crumb - Every Street's a Boulevard in Old New York - The Moonlight March (Sketchbook) (1964)

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