KAWS. Art & Comix at the Albertina Modern in Vienna, Austria, examines the fluid boundary between graphic storytelling and fine art. The exhibition centers on the career of Brian Donnelly, known as KAWS, tracing his path from 1990s graffiti artist to a creator of globally recognized sculptures. By pairing his work with international contemporaries, the show highlights how the universal language of cartoons has moved from the pages of comic strips to the walls of major museums.

The presentation includes early posters modified with the artist's signature skull-and-crossbones motifs alongside his large-scale figures in wood and bronze. It also integrates works by nearly thirty other artists, including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Ad Reinhardt, alongside contemporary painters like Katherine Bernhardt. These juxtapositions illustrate a shared interest in physiognomy and gesture, using familiar characters to explore complex themes of melancholy and public identity.

Rather than treating comics as a mere reference, the exhibition treats them as an autonomous artistic form. It offers a broad perspective on how caricatures and frame-by-frame narration have evolved since the 1960s, questioning the traditional hierarchy between high and low culture through the lens of one of the most visible artists of the twenty-first century.

A substantial and visually engaging study for those interested in the crossover between street culture, pop icons, and contemporary museum practice.

Start with the early graffiti interventions to understand the artist's roots before moving to the large-scale sculptures, paying attention to how other artists in the rooms use similar cartoon logic.