KAWSKAWS Pink BFF (KAWS BFF pink)2018
2018
About the Item
- Creator:KAWS (American)
- Creation Year:2018
- Dimensions:Height: 13 in (33.02 cm)Width: 5.7 in (14.48 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:NEW YORK, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU354313611252
KAWS
In the beginning, Brian Donnelly was just a kid from Jersey City, New Jersey, who got into the graffiti thing. KAWS was his tag, chosen simply because he liked the way it looked. Today, KAWS creates all kinds of art — there are KAWS figures and toys, sculptures and colorful drawings, paintings and prints that appropriate pop phenomena like the Smurfs, the Simpsons and SpongeBob SquarePants.
In the late 1990s, the artist, a 1996 graduate of New York’s School of Visual Arts, was making a living as an illustrator for the animation studio Jumbo Pictures. Like young Hansel and Gretel with their trail of crumbs, KAWS would mark the morning route to his downtown Manhattan office with “subvertising,” “interrupting” fashion advertisements by adding his colorful character Bendy, its sinuous length sliding playfully around the likes of a Calvin Klein perfume bottle or supermodel Christy Turlington.
These creations gained a following, to the point where work posted in the morning would disappear by lunchtime. Even in those early days, KAWS was hot on the resale market.
“When I was doing graffiti,” he once explained, “it meant nothing to me to make paintings if I wasn’t reaching people.”
Instead of seeking entrée to the elite New York art world (which, frankly, wasn’t looking for a street artist anyway), KAWS moved to Japan, where a flourishing youth culture welcomed visionaries like him.
In 1999, he partnered with Bounty Hunter, a Japanese toy and streetwear brand, to release his first toy. Companion — an eight-inch-tall vinyl reimagining of Mickey Mouse, with a skull-and-crossbones head and trademark XX eyes — debuted with a limited run of 500. It sold out quickly.
Companion was the first of more than 130 toy designs, which came to include such characters as Chum, Blitz, Be@rbrick, BFF and Milo, each immediately recognizable as KAWS figures by their XX eyes. Fans have proved insatiable. In 2017, MoMA’s online store announced the availability of a limited supply of KAWS Companion figures; as avid collectors logged on to stake their claim, the website crashed — multiple times.
Companion is the most visible of the KAWS posse, appearing over the past decade in new postures and combinations in monumental KAWS statues and other works. These include Along the Way (2013), an 18-foot-tall wooden sculpture of two Companions leaning on each other for support; Together (2016), two Companions in a friendly embrace, which debuted during an exhibition of KAWS’s work at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, in Texas; and KAWS:HOLIDAY (2018), a 92-foot-long inflatable Companion floating on its back in Seoul’s Seokchon Lake. The sculptures were re-created as toys, blurring the lines between art and commerce.
KAWS’s visual language may be drawn from cartoons, but his work doesn’t necessarily evoke childlike joy.
“My figures are not always reflecting the idealistic cartoon view that I grew up on,” he explains in the catalogue for the Fort Worth exhibition. “Companion is more real in dealing with contemporary human circumstances . . . . I think when I’m making work it also often mirrors what’s going on with me at that time.”
KAWS's résumé reads like a record of major 21st-century pop-culture moments. It includes his work with streetwear brands like A Bathing Ape and Supreme; his design for the cover of Kanye West’s 2008 album, 808s & Heartbreak; and his collaboration with designer Kim Jones on the Dior Homme Spring/Summer 2019 collection, Jones’s debut as the fashion brand’s creative director.
Learn how to spot a fake KAWS art toy, and browse authentic KAWS figures, prints, sculptures and mixed media works on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: New York, NY
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- KAWS Together Companion: Set of 2 (Brown & Black)By KAWSLocated in NEW YORK, NYKAWS Together 2018: Set of 2 (Brown & Black): In TOGETHER, KAWS’s iconic “Companions” are interlocked, consoling each other in an everlasting hug. KAWS 1st debuted this embracing duo...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsResin, Vinyl
- KAWS SHARE Set of 2 (KAWS brown grey share companions)By KAWSLocated in NEW YORK, NYKAWS SHARE: Set of 2, each new & unopened in its original packaging. KAWS SHARE first appeared in 'BLACKOUT' – the first London solo exhibition by KAWS (Skarstedt London 2019). In SHARE, KAWS uses two of his characters to convey opposing human attitudes- whereby, the Companion is secure and looks outward, holding but not attached to the toy in its hand. Of recent note, KAWS SHARE was open to public display in New York's famed Rockefeller Center in (August 2021). Medium: Painted Vinyl Cast Resin. 2020. 12.4 x 6.3 inches (applies to each individual). New, never displayed; accompanied by original packaging. From a sold out edition of unknown. Stamped to the underside of feet. Packed safely & professionally. We are a trusted leading seller & expert in this category. A leading artist of his generation, Brooklyn-based KAWS engages audiences beyond the museums and galleries in which he regularly exhibits. KAWS is perhaps best known for his iconic character, Companion, which is featured in key paintings, sculptures, products, and toy figures. KAWS, born Brian Donnelly, straddles the worlds of art as well as design with a prolific body of work that ranges from paintings, murals, and large-scale sculptures to merchandise, furniture, and toys. It often centers on Companion, a depressed Mickey Mouse–like character with X’s for eyes. KAWS got his start as a street artist in the late ’90s. His practice has earned him major shows at the Brooklyn Museum, the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, and the Yuz Museum in Shanghai, among other institutions. Evoking the sensibilities of Pop artists such as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, KAWS embarks on culturally impactful collaborations and explores the intersection of art and commerce...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsResin, Vinyl
- KAWS HOLIDAY Changbai white (KAWS white chanbgai)By KAWSLocated in NEW YORK, NYKAWS Holiday Changbai Mountain (KAWS white Changbai): A beautifully composed snowy-white KAWS COMPANION published to commemorate KAWS' larger-scale sculpture of same, at Changbai Mo...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsResin, Vinyl
- Warhol Basquiat Bearbrick 400% set of 2 works (Warhol Basquiat BE@RBRICK)By after Jean-Michel BasquiatLocated in NEW YORK, NYAndy Warhol & Jean-Michel Basquiat Bearbrick Vinyl Figures: Set of two 400%: Unique, timeless collectibles trademarked & licensed by the Estates of Jean-Michel Basquiat & Andy Warhol. The partnered collectibles reveal details from two of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol's 1980s collaborative artworks wrapping the figures in their entirety. Housed in a unique Warhol, Basquiat collector's box. Sold out; highly collectible. Medium: Vinyl Figures. Set of 2. Year: 2021. Each individually measuring 11 x 5 inches. Condition: New in original packaging. Published by Medicom from a sold out limited edition of unknown. Further Background: BE@RBRICKs are a form of collectible toy that resemble a cross between LEGO and well, a bear. These block-style figurines boast teddy bear-style heads that have become an integral pillar of the collectible toy scene. In fact, it wouldn’t be so far-fetched to say that it almost single-handedly carved out the fad of toy collecting in modern times, treading the very fine line between toy and art. Since its inception, BE@RBRICKs have become one of the most recognizable characters in the world, and some of the most sought after. Please note exact patterns may vary. Related Categories Basquiat. Pop Art. Art toys. Kaws. Hebru Brantley. Bears. Kids room. Warhol Basquiat collaborations. Warhol Basquiat New Flame...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsResin, Vinyl
- KAWS Red Blush companions (complete set of 2 works KAWS Companion)By KAWSLocated in NEW YORK, NYKAWS Red Blush Companions: complete set of 2 works: New and sealed in their original packaging. Published by Medicom Japan in conjunction with the exhibition, KAWS: Where The End Sta...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Prints and Multiples
MaterialsVinyl, Resin
- Takashi Murakami Melting DOB New/sealed (Takashi Murakami DOB)By Takashi MurakamiLocated in NEW YORK, NYTakashi Murakami Melting DOB, 2021: Takashi Murakami's signature DOB figure new/unopened in its original packaging. A standout Murakami limited edition collector's piece, rarely presented new/sealed in its original factory box. Medium: Painted cast vinyl figure with metallic disk stand...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsVinyl, Resin
- Balloon Swan ( After ) - Graphite BlackBy After Jeff KoonsLocated in Pampilhosa da Serra, PTA one time exclusive re-edition of 500 pcs from the highly popular "Balloon Swan". Cold cast resin, comes with its original box and certificate of authenticity. From a Limited Editi...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsMetal
- KAWS - Holiday: Singapore (Grey Edition) - Pop ArtBy KAWSLocated in Asheville, NCKAWS - Holiday: Singapore (Grey Edition) - Pop Art Artists KAWS Edition Details Year: 2021 Class: Toy Status: Official Released: 11/13/21 Paper: Vinyl Abou...Category
2010s Pop Art Sculptures
MaterialsSynthetic, Acrylic Polymer, Resin, Plastic, Latex, Polyester, Polystyren...
- Money Cat from Huichol ALTERATIONS SeriesBy CHROMA aka Rick WolfrydLocated in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de MéxicoALTERATION ART . . . is a collaboration process between Rick Wolfryd, fine artist and art dealer with over 40 years experience, and various Mexican Huichol artists and Mexican Huicho...Category
2010s Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsGlass, Resin, Mixed Media
- Bigfoot 85 - Resin Sculpture, 2022Located in Porto, 13Bigfoot 85 is an original work of art by the French artist Idan Zareski. "Our feet are our roots, our roots are our heritage. They ground and anchor us ...Category
2010s Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsResin
- Babyfoot 85 - Resin Sculpture, 2020Located in Porto, 13Babyfoot 85 is an original work of art by the French artist Idan Zareski. "Our feet are our roots, our roots are our heritage. They ground and anchor us to this small and fragile planet, reminding us that we all share the common ground...Category
2010s Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsResin
- Le Siffleur 85 - Resin Sculpture, 2022Located in Porto, 13Le Siffleur 85 is an original work of art by the French artist Idan Zareski. "Our feet are our roots, our roots are our heritage. They ground and anchor ...Category
2010s Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsResin
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
How to Spot a Fake KAWS Figure
KAWS art toys have developed an avid audience in recent decades, and as in any robust collectible market, counterfeiters have followed the mania. Of course, you don’t have to worry about that on 1stDibs, where all our sellers are highly vetted.
KAWS Is Having a Major Effect on Popular Culture, Whether on the Street or in Museums
From graffiti tagger to hypebeast obsession to auction hero — we chart the artist’s rise and his widening influence.