At first glance, I was shocked. Like his good friend and collaborator Pharrell, Brian Donnelly, better known as KAWS, looked unbelievably young. The global artist, who has been at the forefront of art and culture for the last two decades, looked no different than when he first burst onto the scene in the late ‘90s. Even down to his clothes, donning his signature chambray oxford shirt and baseball cap, KAWS seems to have remained unchanged.

After speaking with him for just minutes, I got the feeling that he doesn’t consider himself some larger-than-life artist or celebrity, which at this point in his illustrious career, certainly he deserves to. Soft-spoken and reserved in demeanor, Brian stands in stark contrast to the work he is internationally known for. As we discussed his latest endeavor, he spoke with a calm, calculated confidence without any hint of arrogance, though, just outside the walls of our meeting room in the Central Embassy Mall in Bangkok, there stood a giant masterpiece of his doing – a trophy of sorts.

Brazenly colored, the 10-meter-tall structure took 20+ men and over 10 hours to erect. Named the BFF, it is the latest of Donnelly’s family of characters and follows a high-profile lineage that includes the Companion, Accomplice, Chum and Bendy. While a completely new addition to the collection, the BFF is immediately recognizable as KAWS’s artwork. The signature skull and crossbones, the X’s on the white gloved hands, the bold and saturated colors coupled with sleek curved lines – the KAWS BFF can be literally spotted from a mile away. These Godzilla-sized sculptures have been a staple of KAWS’s work over the last few years, and to any other artist, it would stand as a clear point of accomplishment in their career. To Brian, however, it’s simply the latest exploration in his work, another medium adding to the long list he has accrued throughout his career.