KAWS
HOLIDAY: SAN FRANCISCO
The thirty-six-foot-tall (11m) inflatable sculpture on SFMOMA’s rooftop is the fourteenth iteration of KAWS’s HOLIDAY project. Launched in 2018, HOLIDAY brings the artist’s popular characters at monumental scale to some of the World’s most iconic sites, from the foot of Mount Fuji, to ancient temples in Indonesia, to the skies of Melbourne.
As a young artist, KAWS (Brian Donnelly, born 1974, Jersey City, NJ) established himself as a graffiti writer, tagging the urban landscape. With HOLIDAY, the artist again imagines the city as his canvas. Here, his COMPANION character sits atop the terraced rooftop of SFMOMA’s Mario Botta–designed building. Is he resting, enjoying the skyline, or just hanging out?
HOLIDAY: SAN FRANCISCO is presented as part of KAWS: FAMILY, the artist’s first major West Coast museum exhibition, on view at SFMOMA from November 15, 2025, through May 3, 2026. Get your tickets today.
Note: This installation will be deflated under certain weather conditions.
KAWS HOLIDAY: SAN FRANCISCO
Take a peak at how KAWS’s monumental HOLIDAY: SAN FRANCISCO was installed on SFMOMA’s rooftop.
KAWS: FAMILY is organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Lead support for the SFMOMA presentation of KAWS: FAMILY and HOLIDAY: SAN FRANCISCO is provided by the Phyllis C. Wattis Fund for Traveling Exhibitions.
Header image: KAWS, HOLIDAY: SAN FRANCISCO, 2025; Private collection; © KAWS; photo: Mogli Maureal