APC ART is pleased to present a rare and historically significant example of KATSU’s iconic “DRONE SMILE,” executed in 2015 as a spray paint work created entirely by an Autonomous graffiti drone.

Emerging from the streets of New York in the late 1990s as a legendary graffiti writer and hacker, KATSU revolutionized the medium by pioneering the world’s first graffiti drone — a hacked quadcopter fitted with a custom spray-can rig that allowed him to paint from the air with mechanical precision and unpredictable freedom. This Drone Smile captures the raw energy of that breakthrough moment. Guided remotely by the artist, the drone hovers, darts, and releases bursts of spray paint to form a large-scale, abstract smiley face — producing gestural, chaotic splatters, looping marks, and wind-affected drips that feel like 21st-century action painting — part Jackson Pollock, part digital glitch, and pure graffiti rebellion.

Made during the explosive period when KATSU was debuting his drone technology — including the infamous 2015 Kendall Jenner Calvin Klein billboard tag that made global headlines and was widely covered by The New York Times, The Guardian, Bloomberg, and Wired — these works blur the line between human gesture and machine autonomy. The resulting surfaces carry the unpredictable beauty of drone flight: hovering halos, explosive clusters of color, and organic drips that no traditional hand could replicate in quite the same way.

Intended as experimental studio works tied to his groundbreaking tech explorations, early drone paintings from this pivotal year are increasingly scarce on the open market today. This particular piece stands out in strong original condition, professionally conservation framed, and benefits from enhanced gallery presentation that elevates it well above raw auction examples.

KATSU’s bold fusion of street art, new media, hacking culture, and conceptual intervention has earned him widespread recognition. He has exhibited at major venues including Fondation Cartier in Paris, Eyebeam, multiple solo shows at The Hole (such as “Remember the Future” in 2015 and “Dot” in 2020), Diane Rosenstein Gallery in Los Angeles, Coney Art Walls, Beyond the Streets, Salon 94, and OMNI Gallery in London. His work has been featured extensively in The New York Times, Wired, Bloomberg, Artsy, Hypebeast, Vice, and Design Milk. He has collaborated with cultural icons like the late Virgil Abloh on the Off-White x KATSU collection and is widely celebrated as a true pioneer who expanded the possibilities of graffiti and painting in the digital age, influencing conversations around surveillance, commercialism, privacy, and the evolving relationship between humans and machines.

This “Drone Smile” captures a pivotal moment in KATSU’s career — the exact year he brought aerial graffiti from concept to reality and changed what painting could mean in the drone age. It remains one of the purest and most exciting expressions of his innovative practice: raw, mechanical, and undeniably human at the same time.

This is a special chance to own an original early drone painting by one of the most forward-thinking artists to emerge from New York graffiti. Historically important, technologically groundbreaking, and visually powerful, it makes a dynamic and conversation-starting addition to any serious contemporary collection.

The work is in hand in the United States and will ship immediately. A certificate of authenticity issued by APC ART will accompany the piece, guaranteeing authenticity in perpetuity.

From both a cultural and investment standpoint, this work represents a compelling acquisition opportunity in today’s market.
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WORK DETAILS
Title: Drone Smile
Artist: KATSU
Year: 2015
Medium: Spray paint on canvas (created via remote-controlled graffiti drone)
Artwork size: 24 x 24 inches (61.0 x 61.0 cm)
Framed size: 25 x 25 x 2.2 inches

PROUDLY & EXCLUSIVELY OFFERED BY APC ART.
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