Jeff KOONS is an American artist whose work examines popular culture, often in the form of paintings and sculptures that transform everyday images and objects into works of art that engage the viewer. Most recognizable among these are his balloon animals produced in stainless steel with mirror-finish surfaces.
Born in York, Pennsylvania in 1955; Jeff Koons studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He received a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 1976. Since his first solo exhibition in 1980, Koons’ work has been shown in major galleries and institutions throughout the world. He lives and works in New York City.
Jeff KOONS has been a board member of The International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) since 2002, and co-founded the Koons Family International Law and Policy Institute with ICMEC; for the purpose of combating global issues of child abduction and exploitation and to protect the world’s children. With this inaugural collaboration with Jeff Koons and Qatar Museums, we pledge 10% of the revenue from a limited skateboard art edition collection to funding ICMEC, as well as MazunteSk8 Park – a project to build a public skatepark for young people in Oaxaca, Mexico.
“I wanted to have the boards be unique. They’re of this moment. We’re celebrating the exhibition that is taking place in Doha, Qatar, and these works will be in that exhibition. The Popeye Skateboard uses a reflective foil in the piece. Balloon Venus Skateboard has a visual reflection within the image itself. All these aspects are important to my work and I have continued to try to define why I work with reflection and how important I believe it is that we are able to feel the confidence within ourselves.”
