Name: KAWS
Age: 36
Occupation: Artist
City/Neighborhood: Brooklyn, NY

What project are you working on now? I'm in L.A. installing an exhibition at Honor Fraser gallery titled "Hold the Line."

Your work draws on a style of animation that encompasses "SpongeBob SquarePants" — what do you make of the "SpongeBob" artist who is said to have sicced ninjas on a gallery owner? Is that common behavior in your world? I learned early that traveling with a Ninja is a good way of maintaining clear communication between myself and the gallery.

You and Takashi Murakami mine similar pop-culture terrain in your work, with Murakami focusing on the anime family while you take inspiration from Western cartoons. What do you think of his work? Takashi Murakami has been very supportive of my work. I appreciate him and the work he makes. He has played a great role in connecting the rest of the world to Japanese culture and the art being made there.

What's the last show that you saw? "Circle of Friends" at George Adams Gallery in N.Y. It was a group show based around Robert Arneson and the friends he kept such as Peter Saul, Joan Brown, Roy DeForest and others. I saw this show before it opened and had to see it again before it closed.

What's the last show that surprised you? Why? "Pretty on The Inside" at Paul Kasmin. I organized this show with my friend Erik Parker. We decided to do it as a way to gather a few of the artists we love and put them in the same space. We were surprised at how easy it came together.

What's your favorite place to see art? In my home would be my first choice but that would really limit what I could see. I'm happy to see art any way it's available. At a museum or in a shed is all the same.

Do you make a living off your art? Yes.

Kanye West is said to be an avid collector of your work, and you have collaborated with him. How would you describe his aesthetic? I designed the "808 Heartbreak" cover for him, but he doesn't collect my work. Kanye is constantly taking risks with his work and aesthetic and keeps it changing. That's what I like about him, but I couldn't put a label on it.

What do you think should happen to the hipster art thief who stole your painting from Marc Ecko's office? I don't know what to make of that whole thing, it all seems a bit strange.

What's the most indispensable item in your studio? Foam brushes.

Do you collect anything? I have accumulated a couple of drawings and paintings.

What's the last artwork you purchased? Some small paintings by Tadanori Yokoo.

What's the first artwork you ever sold? When I first started painting over the phone booth size ads I had a few friends who asked to buy some, I think that was around 1995.

Do you have a favorite television show? I don't really watch TV.

What is the biggest difference between art and fashion? Most art wouldn't make a good outfit except maybe a Nick Cave sound suit would be amazing in any setting.

What's the weirdest thing you ever saw happen in a museum or gallery? Sorry to say nothing comes to mind.

What's your art-world pet peeve? Fake nice.

What's your favorite post-gallery watering hole or restaurant? I usually just head home.

Do you have a gallery/museum-going routine? I wish I did but no.

What's the last great book you read? I read a good Henri Rousseau book the other night.

What work of art do you wish you owned? H.C. Westermann, "Memorial to the Idea of Man if He was Idea," 1958

What would you do to get it? Ask politely.

What international art destination do you most want to visit? I would like to use art as an excuse to visit Italy, I still have never been.

What under-appreciated artist, gallery, or work do you think people should know about? Karl Wirsum has been making amazing work since the '60s!

Who's your favorite living artist? I don't have favorites, artists' work comes in and out of my head at different times.

What are your hobbies? I don't have much free time. When I do it's mostly spent with my girlfriend and dog.