KAWS TOKYO FIRST, 2021

May 6, 2021 – KAWS just released a sneak preview through his instagram of one of the special, limited edition goods that will be available at his upcoming solo show in Tokyo this fall. Hiyoko are a traditional pastry enjoyed across Japan since 1912. These adorable chick-shaped buns with a sweet and tender centre are so iconic and synonymous with Japanese culture that they are even sold at the Tokyo airport. A special KAWS edition of these jam-filled snacks, equipped with the artist’s signature x eyes, will be available at the Mori Arts Centre Gallery for the duration of KAWS’s fall exhibit KAWS First Tokyo (July-Oct, 2021). The exhibition’s preview site shows that there are at least two other special goods that will be available that are yet to be announced and we can’t wait o see what the artist will be sharing next.

KAWS First Tokyo is a very special retrospective because it is being held exactly 20 years after the artist’s first solo show in Japan in 2001. Japan has been an extremely influential and inspirational environment for the New York based artist. Travelling there in the early years of his career to absorb stylistic cues and craftsmanship techniques, KAWS credits Japan with a great deal of the development of his aesthetic and process. This retrospective will include works from across mediums and will showcase how the artist’s career has evolved over the last two decades. This show will also include a selection works by other artists from KAWS’ own private collection that he feels helped to shape his practice. Following the artist’s recent retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum (Feb-Sept, 2021) this has been a major year for KAWS!