On the occasion of the opening of the site-specific installation THE MESSAGE in the courtyard of Palazzo Strozzi (29 October 2025 – 25 January 2026), we interviewed KAWS to discuss the ongoing exhibition dedicated to Fra Angelico, with which his work enters into dialogue.
What is the first image that comes to your mind when you think of Fra Angelico’s work? Is it the Annunciation, or something else?
Definitely the Annunciation. I think it’s just such a strong piece of religious iconography — all that gold leaf, the light, the sense of sacredness. It’s something you grow up seeing, even if you’re not really looking at it when you’re young. It feels like it has always existed — and in a way, it has, because it’s been around for hundreds of years.
So you started really looking at it only later, when you grew up.
Yes, I think so. These works have such presence, but when you’re young you don’t realize there was an individual behind them — someone sitting there, painting all of this by hand. Not just the great triptychs, but also the illuminated manuscripts, smaller devotional works. It’s fascinating when you start connecting what you see in the world to the people who actually made it.
How would you describe Fra Angelico’s art to someone who has never seen it?
That’s tough. I’d say it’s profoundly spiritual. The colors are so intense, the execution is flawless — they’re true masterworks. There’s this luminous quality to them, a kind of glow that feels alive. I’m still in shock walking through the exhibition, realizing how many hundreds of years old these works are, and yet they feel as if they were painted this morning. They have a soul, a presence that’s deeply inspiring.
In your work you explore emotions, symbols, and different forms of expression. What, for you, is the relationship between art and spirituality?
For me, it’s about honesty. As an artist, I think the only way to dedicate your life to art is by creating work that’s an honest reflection of what you see, think, and feel. If you do that — if you’re truthful — then your work has a chance to connect with others. I don’t know if that’s exactly “spiritual,” but maybe that connection, that sincerity, is a kind of spirituality in itself.
Fra Angelico painted for religious communities but also for private patrons. In your opinion, what is the power of a work conceived to be shared?
I think the whole purpose of art is to be shared. Of course, I love those solitary moments in the studio when I’m making it, but I also love knowing that a work has a life after me. What’s the point if it isn’t meant to be seen, to be experienced by others? Trust me, I love being alone in the studio creating, but I want the work to exist far beyond those walls.
Have you been to Florence before? What does the city make you feel?
Yes, I’ve been to Florence once before, a few years ago — actually for an event at Palazzo Strozzi. It was for Olafur Eliasson’s opening with Acute Art, a London-based augmented reality company I’m involved with. We did a project together, and even though I was only in town for a single day, I managed to walk around a bit. It’s such a beautiful city. This trip is short too, but I’m really looking forward to wandering through the streets and visiting as many museums as I can this time.
KAWS is an American artist who has achieved global recognition with works ranging across painting, sculpture, and design; drawing inspiration from the imagery of animation and visual communication to employ a highly recognizable style and approach that is both playful and irreverent. He has exhibited extensively in major cultural institutions worldwide, including exhibitions at SFMoMA, San Francisco (2025); Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville (2025); The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh (2024); Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto (2023); Serpentine Gallery, London (2022); Mori Arts Center Gallery, Tokyo (2021); The Brooklyn Museum, New York (2021); and the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (2019).
On the cover: KAWS, Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, 2025. Photo Ludovica Arcero Say Who