Art by KAWS

KAWS, the working name of Brian Donnelly, started out altering existing advertisements, subway posters, bus shelters, replacing the human figures inside familiar ads with his own cartoonish characters, most notably one with X's for eyes, before that same visual language crossed over into painting, sculpture, and enormously popular collectible toys. His recurring character, "Companion," has appeared as a massive inflatable balloon in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and his collaborations with brands like Uniqlo and Supreme sold out almost instantly, blurring the line between fine-art collector and streetwear customer more completely than almost anyone else working today.