KAWS Donates 'WHAT PARTY' Painting to Benefit Free Arts NYC Charity
With sacai having already matched the first $50,000 USD in entries.
After unveiling a giant WHAT PARTY statue in Hong Kong, KAWS returns with a new charity initiative revolving his donation of a painting titled WHAT PARTY (KCC3) 2019. All proceeds from the sale of the work to directly benefit the non-profit, Free Arts NYC — an organization that provides access to art programming, mentorship and creative opportunities for the youth in underserved communities across New York City.
Measuring 36 by 30 inches, the acrylic on canvas work features a zoomed-in, compositional view of the artist’s Michelin Man-inspired character called CHUM. The piece is surely a must-have for collectors and KAWS fans alike as the artist rarely depicts the subject highlighted across works in his prolific oeuvre. The work’s title also recalls the artist’s upcoming major survey to launch at the Brooklyn Museum in February 2021.
And just hours after the raffle of the painting was announced on Thursday, sacai made a generous donation of $50,000 USD for the piece. “Seize this unique opportunity to acquire a painting by KAWS and show your commitment to advancing equity in the arts. Your donation will directly support helping over 2,000 youth in NYC thrive through creativity,” said KAWS in an Instagram caption. “By making a $100 USD donation you can enter for a chance to win this painting I donated. The more entries you make the better your chances to win (and think about all the good karma you will be receiving!!!)”
Get a closer look at KAWS’ WHAT PARTY (KCC3) 2019 painting above and then head to Free Arts NYC’s website to learn more about the raffle that closes tonight at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Elsewhere in art, Gagosian is set launch the first-ever solo exhibition of Nathaniel Mary Quinn’s latest works in London.
