The Drawing Center in New York City recently opened a monumental exhibition entitled The Way I See It that features over 350 artworks curated by KAWS. Culled from his immense, personal collection of over 3,000 works on paper, KAWS selected a diverse coterie of pieces by an estimated 500 artists. The presentation continues The Drawing Center’s programming that solely focuses on the exhibition of drawings, both historical and contemporary, while offering viewers a glimpse into the personal tastes of diverse collectors from across the globe.
Covering the 20th-21st centuries, The Way I See it encompasses works on paper that touch on distinct genres including comics, commercial illustrations as well as pages torn from graffiti black books. It includes pieces by Abstract Expressionist Willem de Kooning, renowned comic artist R. Crumb, Pop Art master Peter Saul, the acclaimed sculptor H.C. Westermann and the prolific Pablo Picasso. Also included are an assemblage of works by the artist’s graffiti peers including Todd James, FUTURA 2000, DONDI, SERVE and DAZE.
“For KAWS, this collection functions as a personal reference library—a way to study the progression of an artist’s style, to think abstractly about the marks of a drawing, and to remind himself that there’s more than one way of making art. Living with other artists’ work is ‘energy, food,’ KAWS has said, highlighting the profound impact these works have on his own artistic practice and vision,” said The Drawing Center in a statement.
The Way I See It is on view until January 19, 2025.
The Drawing Center
35 Wooster St.
New York, NY 10013