WASHINGTON, DC.- The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has announced the acquisition of “SHELTER” (2026) by American artist KAWS, a major commission that underscores the museum’s commitment to collecting vital contemporary global art since its founding in 1974. The 14-foot-tall bronze sculpture will be on view when the revitalized Sculpture Garden reopens to the public in late October.
“KAWS transcends boundaries among disciplines and across art worlds in ways that unfold both within and outside a traditional museum’s walls,” said Hirshhorn Director Melissa Chiu. “In ‘SHELTER,’ he opens throughlines to foundational Pop art figures like Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg and Roy Lichtenstein as well as contemporaries like Katherine Bernhardt, Jeff Koons and Avery Singer, who similarly investigate art-historical themes, popular culture and commerce.”
A versatile artist and designer, KAWS is known for populating his work with larger-than-life versions of his signature characters. “SHELTER” depicts two of KAWS’s COMPANION figures—identifiable by their skull-and-crossbones heads and Xs for eyes—as parent and child, evoking belonging, warmth and universal humanity.
“It’s an honor to have my work installed in the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden alongside so many artists I respect and admire,” KAWS said. “Being in such a prominent location on our capital’s National Mall is a true privilege. I hope the work encourages people to reflect on our relationships, how we treat one another and what that means for future generations.”
The commission will be stand on the Sculpture Garden’s West Overlook, a placement designed to engage the broadest possible public. “SHELTER’s” balance of pathos and whimsy resonates with other collection works throughout the 1.4-acre garden, including Auguste Rodin’s “The Burghers of Calais” (1884–1889), Joan Miró’s “Lunar Bird” (1945) and Pablo Picasso’s “Pregnant Woman (First State)” (1950), all part of Joseph H. Hirshhorn’s foundational gifts to the nation.
About the Artist
KAWS (b. 1974, Jersey City, New Jersey; lives and works in Brooklyn, New York) engages audiences beyond the museums and galleries in which he regularly exhibits. His prolific body of work straddles the worlds of art and design to include paintings, murals, graphic and product design and large-scale sculptures. Over the past three decades, KAWS has built a successful career with work that consistently shows his formal agility as an artist as well as his underlying wit, irreverence and affection for the current times. His refined graphic language revitalizes figuration with both big, bold gestures and playful intricacies.
KAWS, admired for his larger-than-life sculptures and hard-edge paintings that emphasize line and color, often appropriates and draws inspiration from pop-culture animations and iconography, forming a unique artistic vocabulary across mediums. His cast of hybrid cartoon characters are the strongest examples of his exploration of humanity. As seen in his collaborations with global brands, KAWS’ imagery possesses a sophisticated humor and reveals a thoughtful interplay with consumer products. With their broad appeal, KAWS’ artworks are highly sought-after by collectors inside and outside the art world, establishing him as a uniquely prominent artist and influence in today’s culture.
KAWS has exhibited extensively in renowned institutions, including solo exhibitions at Albertina Modern, Vienna (2026); San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (2025); Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas (2025); the Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh (2024); Parrish Art Museum, Water Mill, New York (2024); Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto (2023); Serpentine Gallery, London (2022); Mori Arts Center Gallery, Tokyo (2021); Brooklyn Museum, New York (2021); National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (2019); Fire Station, Qatar Museums, Doha (2019); Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (2017); Yuz Museum, Shanghai (2017); Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas (2016); Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton, England (2016); Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga, Spain (2014); Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia (2013); High Museum of Art, Atlanta (2011); and Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, Connecticut (2010).
