‘KAWS: FAMILY’, Three Decades of Characters Reimagined
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
03 December 2025

The exhibition ‘KAWS: FAMILY’ at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is the artist KAWS’s first major museum show on the US West Coast, running from 15 November 2025 to 3 May 2026.

Spanning more than three decades of his career, the exhibition brings together over 100 works across painting, drawing, sculpture, and design objects, as well as collectable toys, a full spectrum of KAWS’s creative output. What stands out is how KAWS transforms familiar elements of pop culture—including cartoons, adverts, and design— into a personal, emotionally rich language.

At the heart of the show is the imposing bronze sculpture FAMILY (2021), which unites three of KAWS’s recurring characters—COMPANION, BFF, and CHUM—posed together like a family in a studio portrait. Their gestures and postures evoke intimacy, vulnerability, and belonging, inviting viewers to reflect on connection, care, and shared humanity.

Beyond fine art, the exhibition includes the artist’s interventions in advertising, collaborations with design and fashion brands, and everyday objects redesigned under his signature aesthetic—from shoes to cereal boxes to plush-toy sofas. This diverse mix showcases how his practice blurs the boundaries between street art, commercial design, and fine art, and positions art as part of everyday life.

To complement the museum show, the rooftop of SFMOMA presents HOLIDAY: SAN FRANCISCO, a 36-foot inflatable sculpture of COMPANION, forming part of KAWS’s global “HOLIDAY” project. This striking public artwork makes the exhibition instantly visible in the city skyline and offers an accessible, playful entry point for all passers-by.

From 18 December 2025 to 15 January 2026, Opera Gallery will also present a KAWS exhibition in Bal Harbour.