KAWS has arrived in Arkansas for the US premiere of FAMILY, a monumental solo survey, on the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Artwork. An expanded model of the exhibition now graces Bentonville, providing an in-depth exploration of the artist’s XX’ed-eyed visible universe, set in opposition to the foresty backdrop of the Ozarks.
Constructing off its debut presentation on the Artwork Gallery of Ontario, the exhibition organizes itself in a sequence of encounters – “households” of works – showcasing KAWS’ apply throughout numerous eras and disciplines. Among the many show are new additions, together with beforehand unseen, life-sized Monsters, completed in a plastic-sheen of a cereal field toy.
Paying homage to his graffiti roots, the present begins within the late Nineteen Nineties with among the basic commercial (re)works that gave rise to his most well-known character. “I assumed COMPANION was a one-off-thing. Nevertheless it continues to occupy area in my thoughts,” KAWS defined. “The sculptures began having conversations after that. FAMILY is a continuation of that.”
This inventive dialogue is finest captured within the exhibition’s titular piece – a picture-perfect, sculptural portrait of COMPANION, BFF and CHUM. Enjoying with gesture, scale and texture, the work highlights power and significance within the small moments – a hand on shoulder, a slight tilt of a head or selecting one another up.
From the 50-piece Peanuts tribute of Man’s Greatest Pal, a stuffed animal-clad sofa created with the Campana brothers, to a “cloud” of basic inks-on-paper, FAMILY shines a lightweight on the artist’s love for standard tradition alongside his place as one in all its creators. Extra standouts embrace vogue and music collaborations, pandemic-era work, larger-than-life bronze sculptures and an all-white gold iteration of SPACE, hailing from the gathering of Child Cudi.
With the joy of KAWS, the Crystal Bridges Museum continues its practically 100,000-square-foot growth. Slated to open in 2026, the growth will introduce new galleries, academic areas and eating ideas, all geared toward enhancing the museum’s mission to share tales and narratives in American artwork. Within the meantime, the museum stays open with new installations unfolding throughout its inside and scenic trails.
KAWS: FAMILY is on view now in Bentonville by way of July 28, 2025. Head to the museum’s web site to buy tickets.
