{"id":374384,"date":"2026-03-31T08:40:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T08:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/374384\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T08:40:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T08:40:17","slug":"family-is-now-on-view-at-sfmoma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/374384\/","title":{"rendered":"FAMILY is Now On View at SFMOMA"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"KAWS<\/p>\n

KAWS, \u201cFAMILY,\u201d 2021; private collection; \u00a9 KAWS<\/p>\n

Before an exhibition by KAWS<\/a> opened at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art<\/a> (SFMOMA), more than 20 million people had already viewed it. Titled KAWS: FAMILY<\/a>, the popular show traveled to sites including Hong Kong, Doha, and Melbourne before finally landing at SFMOMA in November 2025. Visitor numbers have undoubtedly climbed higher as the U.S. public enjoys the mononymous artist\u2019s creative output over the past 30 years, through painting, sculpture, and commercial enterprises.<\/p>\n

KAWS is the nom de guerre for Brian Donnelly, who got his start by painting graffiti<\/a> on the streets of Jersey City and Manhattan in the 1990s. He would alter phone booths and bus shelters before choosing to enroll in the School of Visual Arts and majoring in illustration. Since 1996, he has created a variety of work in various media, often with a recognizable cast of characters\u2014or, at the very least, a distinctive visual language that instantly reads as his handiwork.<\/p>\n

The 100-piece KAWS: FAMILY is organized on SFMOMA\u2019s Floor 4 as a series of \u201cencounters,\u201d with families of related works positioned throughout the space. While the grouping helps provide a natural way to organize a long career, the exhibition\u2019s title was first inspired by a single sculpture. KAWS\u2019 FAMILY (2021) is a bronze sculpture featuring three of his recurring characters: COMPANION, CHUM, and BFF. This is fitting, as his work frequently centers around these figures. They tangentially reference American animation and popular culture, such as Mickey Mouse, The Simpsons, and Sesame Street. It helps create a sense of ease and familiarity with KAWS\u2019 work. Even if it\u2019s the first time we\u2019ve seen it, these types of figures are embedded in our cultural lexicon. But beyond the curved, friendly, and playful lines, KAWS shows that they can be a conduit for more human emotions like loneliness, grief, and joy.<\/p>\n

\u201cKAWS has a distinct appeal to a vast array of audiences with his iconic characters and meticulous work in a stunning range of mediums,\u201d notes Christopher Bedford, Helen and Charles Schwab director of SFMOMA. \u201cThe playful and contemplative works\u2014a dynamic blend of his street art practice and formal education\u2014offer something for everyone. His large-scale public installations have wowed audiences worldwide, and his playful and poignant retrospective exhibition promises to connect museum visitors with art in entirely new ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a background in street art and illustration, KAWS has continued to lean into artistic accessibility, even while being a world-famous artist. He has long lent his art to everyday objects, such as shoe designs, cereal boxes, and more. They sit alongside his more formal sculptures and paintings, showing that all expressions have equal footing in our visual culture.<\/p>\n

KAWS: FAMILY is currently on view at SFMOMA until May 3, 2026.\n<\/p>\n

For 30 years, the artist KAWS has been creating iconic art via painting, sculpture, and commercial enterprises.
\n\"Brian<\/p>\n

Photo: Shaniqwa Jarvis<\/p>\n

Now, an expansive exhibition at SFMOMA is showing off 100 of his works.
\n\"KAWS<\/p>\n

KAWS, \u201cGONE,\u201d 2020; \u00a9KAWS<\/p>\n

\"KAWS<\/p>\n

KAWS, \u201cSEPARATED,\u201d 2021; \u00a9KAWS<\/p>\n

The 100-piece KAWS: FAMILY is organized on SFMOMA\u2019s Floor 4 as a series of \u201cencounters,\u201d with families of related works positioned throughout the space.
\n\"KAWS<\/p>\n

KAWS, \u201cSPACE,\u201d 2021; \u00a9KAWS<\/p>\n

\"KAWS<\/p>\n

KAWS, \u201cNEW MORNING,\u201d 2012; \u00a9KAWS (Photo: Tom Powell)<\/p>\n

The work tangentially references American animation and popular culture, such as Mickey Mouse, The Simpsons, and Sesame Street.
\n\"KAWS<\/p>\n

KAWS,\u201cURGE (KUB3),\u201d 2020; \u00a9KAWS (Photo: Farzad Owrang)<\/p>\n

\"KAWS<\/p>\n

KAWS, \u201cTHE PORTRAIT,\u201d 2021; \u00a9 KAWS (Photo: Farzad Owrang)<\/p>\n

\"KAWS<\/p>\n

KAWS, \u201cUNTITLED (BAM),\u201d 2013; \u00a9KAWS<\/p>\n

It helps create a sense of ease and familiarity with KAWS\u2019 work, even if it\u2019s the first time we\u2019ve seen it.
\n\"KAWS<\/p>\n

KAWS, \u201cCHUM,\u201d 2002; \u00a9KAWS (Photo: Farzad Owrang)<\/p>\n

\"KAWS<\/p>\n

KAWS, \u201cUNTITLED (DKNY),\u201d 1999; \u00a9KAWS (Photo: Farzad Owrang)<\/p>\n

KAWS: FAMILY is currently on view at SFMOMA, one of the largest modern and contemporary art museums in the U.S.
\n\"SFMOMA,<\/p>\n

SFMOMA, view from Yerba Buena Gardens. (Photo: Jon McNeal, \u00a9 Sn\u00f8hetta)<\/p>\n

\"Oculus<\/p>\n

SFMOMA\u2019s Oculus Bridge, featuring Olafur Eliasson\u2019s \u201cOne-way colour tunnel,\u201d 2007;\u00a9 OlafurEliasson. (Photo: Adam Jacobs Photography, courtesy SFMOMA)<\/p>\n

\"Sn\u00f8hetta<\/p>\n

Sn\u00f8hetta expansion of SFMOMA. (Photo: \u00a9 Henrik Kam, courtesy SFMOMA)<\/p>\n

Exhibition Information:
KAWS
KAWS: FAMILY
November 15, 2025\u2013May 3, 2026
SFMOMA
151 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94103, U.S.A.
\nKAWS: Website<\/a>| Instagram<\/a>
SFMOMA: Website<\/a> | Instagram<\/a> | Facebook<\/a>
\nMy Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by SFMOMA.
\nRelated Articles:
\nKAWS Reimagines Renaissance Art With Modern Twist Highlighting Our Dependence on Technology<\/a>
\nGiant Inflatable Labubu, KAWS x Elmo, and More Will Float in World\u2019s First & Largest \u201cWater Parade\u201d<\/a>
\n150-Foot Sculpture of a Pink Rabbit Lies Down in Front of Indonesia\u2019s Prambanan Temple<\/a>
\n