Kanye West - Original 18"x24" “K. Borne” Figure & Character Study Artwork
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An original 18" x 24" drawing by Kanye West, created during his art school years in the 1990s, long before he became internationally known as a musician, designer, and creative figure.
At the center of the sheet is a seated male figure study, surrounded by a collection of smaller experimental sketches.
What makes this piece especially interesting is the repeated appearance of a distinctive male profile wearing headphones, alongside the handwritten name “K BORNE” repeated several times across the sheet. The exact context has not been definitively established, but the inscription may reference hip-hop artist K. Borne, an artist associated with the Los Angeles-based FunkyTown Pros collective. K. Borne describes himself as being born in Newark, New Jersey, raised in Los Angeles, and a founding member of FunkyTown Pros.
If that identification is correct, it adds another fascinating layer to the work. Rather than being purely an academic figure study, the sheet may capture Kanye simultaneously exploring formal art-school exercises and the hip-hop culture that was already occupying his imagination. Because the connection cannot be proven from the drawing alone, we believe it is best presented as a compelling possibility rather than a confirmed attribution.
The central figure itself shows Kanye working through proportion, musculature, posture, and anatomical structure, while the surrounding heads become progressively more stylized. Some are loose construction sketches; others feature sharper profiles, pronounced hairlines, headphones, and more graphic facial features. You can see him repeatedly returning to the same visual idea, adjusting it each time.
Created during Kanye’s pre-fame art school period, the work was later offered through Julien’s Auctions in 2022 and bears the Donda C. West stamp on the reverse, connecting it to the early archive preserved by his mother.
Item Details
- Artist: Kanye West
- Era: 1990s / Pre-Fame Art School Period
- Dimensions: Approx. 18" x 24"
- Medium: Graphite/Pencil on Paper
- Central seated male figure study
- Multiple male profile and facial studies
- Several headphone-wearing character sketches
- “K BORNE” handwritten repeatedly throughout
- Possible reference to hip-hop artist K. Borne
- Studies in anatomy, musculature, portraiture, and character design
- Mother Donda C. West stamp on reverse
- Provenance: Julien’s Auctions, 2022
- Original one-of-one artwork
For inquiries & questions please contact us here or DM us on Instagram @iconorigin