Since the announcement came that KAWS was going to be curating his first major UK exhibition for the Yorkshire Sculpture Park theres been a longing for February 6th to roll around quickly. KAWS work is unique in style and is throughly monumental in scale, the pieces speak to you on a number of levels, creating a dialogue few modern artists could dream of. With his connection to streetwear brands like BAPE and Supreme and his collaborations with musicians like Clipse and Kanye West his art is easily relatable as part of our entire subculture.

Our friend and customer Warren Jones is the biggest KAWS fan we’ve ever met, with a lengthy collection of figures, knowledge and clothing alike. With such a rich following of the artist under his belt; who better to bring a flare of excitement to the build up of KAWS residency at YSP. Below we catch up with Warren on his experiences of collecting and his reflections on what KAWS means to him.

“As I have said in my recent posts on my Instagram feed, the way I feel when I look at these sculptures is something that I find very difficult to describe. It's an emotional thing for me. As someone who has collected his toys for so many years to see them rendered 50ft high in such an incredibly beautiful setting is just mind blowing.

I first became aware of KAWS through my obsession with A Bathing Ape in the early 2000s when he collaborated on some of their clothing. His clever use of his signature graphics just hooked me in immediately and I've been a fan ever since. I bought my first companion toy from Kid Robot in New York in around 2003 and it's just been a constant desire to add more to the collection ever since.

I think we should be immensely proud of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in general for so many amazing exhibits in the last few years. I'm lucky enough to have lived within walking distance of it for nearly 15 years and have spent many a day walking round there with my friends and family, always intrigued by the artwork it contains. Obviously my bias towards all things KAWS means that I'm just over the moon that he has chosen YSP as the location for his latest exhibition. I'm very excited to be going to the official opening although obviously my impatience means that I've already been up there a few times to take photos and look at the sculptures as they were assembled over the last couple of weeks. I just urge everyone who can make it up here to come and see what is a truly sensational and awe inspiring exhibition in the unquestionably beautiful surroundings of the Yorkshire countryside.”

The KAWS Exhibition at YSP runs from the 6th February until the 12th June 2016 and admission is free. You can find out more about the exhibition, directions and what else the YSP has to offer by visiting their website.

You can follow Warren and his build up to the exhibition on his instagram feed.