Photos By Gail

Tom Sachs’ Eight Foot My Way (2001) looks like a page torn from a sketchbook. Arranged in a grid of nine panels, the artwork functions as a step-by-step tutorial for drawing Hello Kitty, the beloved character created by Sanrio in 1974. Beginning with a simple red circle for her signature bow, Sachs methodically builds the character panel by panel, adding ‘wings,’ a head, whiskers, clothing, and other details until a likeness of the familiar feline mascot emerges.

But this is no ordinary how-to guide.

Along the way, the artist  injects his trademark humor with offbeat instructions for drawing her body — “Move the whole deal over and add a mushroom” — transforming the drawing lesson into a playful exercise in creative improvisation. The hand-drawn diagrams, casual annotations, and DIY presentation give the work the feel of a homemade zine rather than a polished commercial image.

Sachs has long been fascinated by the intersection of consumer culture, craftsmanship, and artistic authorship, and Eight Foot My Way turns one of the world’s most recognizable corporate characters into raw material for artistic exploration. By deconstructing Hello Kitty into a series of simple shapes and directions, he reveals both the manufactured nature of an iconic brand and the universal pleasure of learning how to draw.

The final panel even includes a copyright notice referencing 1976 and 1999, a subtle reminder of the legal and commercial framework surrounding a character that has become a global cultural phenomenon. Equal parts instruction manual, parody, and pop-art tribute, Eight Foot My Way invites viewers to pick up a pain brush and join in the fun.

Photographed in the Salon 94 Gallery as Part of the Exhibit: Tom Sachs, Furniture.

Installation View