Adam Robb Interviewed The Artist Brian Donnelly

For Observer, Adam Robb interviewed the artist Brian Donnelly, also known as KAWS. 

Robb told Study Hall about his connection to KAWS. Years ago, he used to write about the artist on a blog which despite not accruing much of a readership, caught the attention of CBS Sunday Morning producer who lived in the same Jersey City neighborhood where KAWS and him both attended high school.

Robb said, “My posts inspired the producer to air the first national segment on KAWS on CBS Sunday Morning. This was before I was a reporter, and gave me the confidence to start pitching stories and became the catalyst for my career in journalism.” 

He said, “Two years later, I moved into a new apartment downtown I couldn’t really afford, and I sold a KAWS print I’d been sitting on for a decade. I thought I’d done my due diligence, but sold it to a grifter. He cut me a bad check and tried to gaslight me into believing I sold him a fake. I didn’t take this well. I soon learned he was a notorious counterfeiter selling fake prints and cutting bad checks across the street art community. But the victims posting through it on forums and blogs couldn’t convince the artists or authorities to care. I know how to investigate stories now based on how I hunted this man down back then.” 

In this interview, Robb asks Donnelly about death, counterfeiters, Chinese nationalism, and his Nobu x Qui Tequila collaboration. 

Robb’s work has appeared in The Intercept, Wine Enthusiast, Hell Gate, and other outlets.