KAWS Releases 350-Page 'Companionship in the Age of Loneliness' Book

KAWS has launched a limited edition book, titled Companionship in the Age of Loneliness, in collaboration with NGV Design Store. Celebrating his exhibition of the same name at National Gallery of Victoria, the 350-page hardback publication presents over 200 images of the artist’s work, new text by acclaimed author Margaret Atwood and a biographical essay by NGV Senior Curator of Contemporary Art, Dr Simon Maidment.

Working across fashion, art and design, KAWS has carved out a prominent place for himself in the contemporary art world. His murals, large-scale sculptures and colorful paintings are infused with the artist’s distinct visual language and iconic characters, like his beloved BFF and COMPANION figures. Showcasing the artist’s diverse output, the massive “COMPANIONSHIP IN THE AGE OF LONELINESS” exhibition acts as a reminder that “we need one another and that life should be lived as compassionately as possible to combat this ‘Age of Loneliness,’ in the face of fear and hatred.”

The publication includes documentation of this career-survey exhibition in Melbourne, along with his works in Mount Fuji, Japan and elsewhere. Presenting a comprehensive overview of the artist’s work, pages are dedicated to KAWS’s largest sculpture to date — a bronze sculpture of his signature Companion — while others document his vinyl figures of varying sizes and furniture items created from KAWS stuffed animals.

Retailing for $69.95 AUD (approx. $50 USD), Companionship in the Age of Loneliness is available to purchase now on NGV Design Store’s website. KAWS’s “COMPANIONSHIP IN THE AGE OF LONELINESS” is open to the public at NGV Melbourne from now until April 13, 2020.

NGV Melbourne
180 St Kilda Rd
Melbourne VIC 3006
Australia

For more art-related books, Taschen will launch a XXL-sized book titled Japanese Woodblock Prints, which explores the influence of the unique Japanese art form on European modernism.