Kaws Peanuts
KAWS print 2020 (KAWS snoopy print)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Peanuts clothing. KAWS’s fascination with Snoopy began at a young age. “I think Peanuts is part of being a
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Animal Prints
Materials
Screen, Lithograph
KAWS Companion 2016 (KAWS grey companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Grey Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. Published by Medicom Japan in
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Vinyl, Resin
KAWS Companion 2016 (Brown KAWS Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. This classic KAWS figurative
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Minimalist Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Vinyl, Resin
KAWS Flayed Companion (KAWS grey flayed companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Grey Flayed Companion, 2016:
A standout grey KAWS figurative piece - new/sealed in its
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Vinyl, Resin
KAWS Grey Companion 2016 (KAWS companion grey)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Grey Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. Published by Medicom Japan in
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Prints and Multiples
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Snoopy (Black Large)
By KAWS
Located in Englishtown, NJ
Super soft Kaws X Peanuts collaboration Plush.
NYC inspired edition in the all black design.
Re
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Materials
Polyester
KAWS brown Companion 2016 & KAWS SEPARATED brown (set of 2 works)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016 & KAWS SEPARATED brown 2021, set of two individual works:
This set
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Grey Companion 2016: set of 2 works (KAWS grey companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Companion Grey: set of 2 individual works; 2016. Each new and sealed in their original
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Prints and Multiples
Materials
Vinyl, Resin
People Also Browsed
Kusama Large Plush Pumpkin (New)
By Yayoi Kusama
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Yayoi Kusama Yellow & Black Pumpkin (plush):
An iconic, vibrantly colored pop art piece - this large Kusama plush pumpkin features the universal polka dot patterns and bold colors fo...
Category
1960s Pop Art Sculptures
Materials
Nylon
Be@rbrick x Andy Warhol Foundation Marilyn 400% & 100%
By Andy Warhol
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Be@rbrick x Andy Warhol Foundation "Marilyn" Vinyl Figures: Set of two (400% & 100%):
Andy Warhol (after) Marilyn collectible trademarked & licensed by the Estate of Andy Warhol. The...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Bus Stop 2002
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS 'Bus Stop' 2002:
Paying homage to KAWS’ early days as graffiti artist, the “Bus Stop” features a plastic bus stop and two KAWS toys on the platform. Features iconic KAWS heads, ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
1980s Keith Haring Record Art: set of works (Keith Haring album art)
By Keith Haring
Located in NEW YORK, NY
1980s Keith Haring Record Art (set of 4 works):
Four individual 12 inch albums - all illustrated by Haring during his lifetime - making for standout vintage 1980s Keith Haring wall ...
Category
1980s Pop Art Prints and Multiples
Materials
Offset, Lithograph
KAWS Blush Companion 2016 (KAWS Flayed)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Blush Flayed Companion 2016: New and sealed in its original packaging. Published by Medicom Japan in conjunction with the exhibition, KAWS: Where The End Starts at the Modern Ar...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Sculptures
Materials
Vinyl, Resin
Marc Chegall Signed Mourlot "Song of Songs" Exhibition Poster with Documentation
By Mourlot
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This original poster was printed by Mourlot for the National Museum of Nice France for the Marc Chagall exhibition in approximately 1970 in his Surrealistic style. This lithograph is...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Posters
Materials
Paper
H 30 in W 20.5 in D 0.75 in
Deborah Kass Feminist Jewish American Pop Art Silkscreen Screenprint Ltd Edition
By Deborah Kass
Located in Surfside, FL
Deborah Kass (born 1952)
Being Alive, 2012
nine-color silkscreen, one color blend on 2-ply museum board
Image 24 x 24 image. Frame 29 x 29 x 2 inches
Edition 1/65
Hand signed and dat...
Category
2010s Pop Art Figurative Prints
Materials
Screen
Keith Haring Fertility: set of 5 announcements 1983 (Keith Haring Tony Shafrazi)
By Keith Haring
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Keith Haring Fertility 1983:
A complete set of five 1983 Keith Haring Tony Shafrazi promotional cards published to promote Keith Haring's “The Fertility Suite” screen-prints; with ea...
Category
1980s Pop Art Prints and Multiples
Materials
Offset, Lithograph
Free Shipping
H 4.75 in W 5.5 in
KAWS Holiday Companion (KAWS brown holiday companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS 'Holiday' Companion Seoul:
This figurine was published by All Rights Reserved to commemorate the debut of a large scale KAWS floating figure for Seoul’s Seokchon Lake during sum...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
1967 Abstract Geometric Expressionist NYC MoMA Silkscreen Card, Stable Gallery
By Alvin Dickstein
Located in Surfside, FL
Al Dickstein New York school Abstract Geometric work. Came in with small collection of his work including signed letters and a signed card and some monogrammed pieces. Signed and ins...
Category
1960s Abstract Geometric Abstract Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink
Rare Original Keith Haring Record Art (Keith Haring 1984)
By Keith Haring
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Keith Haring Record Art 1984:
Medium: Offset Lithograph on record jacket, vinyl record
Dimensions: 12 x 12 inches.
Cover: Fair to good overall vintage condition.
Includes original ...
Category
1980s Pop Art Mixed Media
Materials
Lithograph, Offset
UNTITLED (SNOOPY)
By KAWS
Located in Aventura, FL
Screen print cutout on Saunders Waterford 425gm HP Hi-White paper. Hand signed, dated and numbered by the artist. Artwork size 10.5 x 8 inches. Custom framed as pictured. Frame si...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art Figurative Prints
Materials
Screen, Paper
Takashi Murakami skateboard deck (Takashi Murakami skulls skate deck)
By Takashi Murakami
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Takashi Murakami Skulls Skateboard Deck 2015:
A vibrant, unique piece of Takashi Murakami skulls wall-art - this highly collectible limited edition Murakami skateboard was publishe...
Category
1980s Pop Art Sculptures
Materials
Wood, Lithograph, Offset
Deborah Kass Feminist Jewish American Pop Art Silkscreen Screenprint Ltd Edition
By Deborah Kass
Located in Surfside, FL
Deborah Kass (born 1952)
Limited edition geometric abstract lithograph in colors on artist paper.
Hand signed and dated in pencil to lower right. 1973.
Edition: 102/120 to lower le...
Category
2010s Pop Art Figurative Prints
Materials
Screen
Keith Haring Bearbrick 400% Companion (Haring Mickey Mouse BE@RBRICK)
By (after) Keith Haring
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Keith Haring Mickey Mouse Bearbrick: Set of two (400% & 100%):
A unique, timeless collectible trademarked & licensed by the Estate of Keith Haring. The partnered collectible reveals ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Vinyl, Resin
The Offs First Record LP
By Jean-Michel Basquiat
Located in NEW YORK, NY
The Offs
First Record, 1984
Vinyl, 12", LP
CD Presents, Ltd. – CD 025
Cover art designed by Jean-Michel Basquiat
"The Offs: First Record" original first printing, 1984 featuring o...
Category
1980s Pop Art More Art
Materials
Offset
Recent Sales
KAWS Grey Companion (KAWS flayed companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Flayed Companion, 2016 (Grey)
New and sealed in its original packaging. Published by Medicom
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Grey Companion (KAWS flayed companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Flayed Companion, 2016 (Grey)
New and sealed in its original packaging. Published by Medicom
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS, Seeing
By KAWS
Located in Miami, FL
2017, KAWS worked together with Nike to produce an Air Jordan 4 shoe and Uniqlo to produce a Peanuts
Category
2010s Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic, LED Light, Mixed Media
KAWS Companion 2016: set of 2 (KAWS grey companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Grey Companion's, 2016: set of 2. New and sealed in their original packaging. Published by
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS, 'MBF: Man's Best Friend' X, 2016
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
KAWS.”) and 'Charlie Brown' from the comic strip 'Peanuts' by Charles Schulz has been reimagined in
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Prints
Materials
Screen
KAWS, 'MBF: Man's Best Friend' IV, 2016
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
“Joe KAWS.”) and 'Charlie Brown' from the comic strip 'Peanuts' by Charles Schulz has been reimagined
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Prints
Materials
Screen
KAWS, 'MBF: Man's Best Friend' I, 2016
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
KAWS.”) and 'Charlie Brown' from the comic strip 'Peanuts' by Charles Schulz has been reimagined in
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Prints
Materials
Screen
KAWS, 'MBF: Man's Best Friend' IX, 2016
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
“Joe KAWS.”) and 'Charlie Brown' from the comic strip 'Peanuts' by Charles Schulz has been reimagined
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Prints
Materials
Screen
KAWS, 'MBF: Man's Best Friend' VIII, 2016
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
“Joe KAWS.”) and 'Charlie Brown' from the comic strip 'Peanuts' by Charles Schulz has been reimagined
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Prints
Materials
Screen
KAWS, 'MBF: Man's Best Friend' II, 2016
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
“Joe KAWS.”) and 'Charlie Brown' from the comic strip 'Peanuts' by Charles Schulz has been reimagined
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Prints
Materials
Screen
KAWS, "Along The Way", Open Edition "Companion" Toy (2019)
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
. / 27.94 x 10.16 cm.
About the Artwork:
Designed by KAWS, this iconic toy figurine set is part of the
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Vinyl
KAWS, "Along The Way", Open Edition "Companion" Toy (2019)
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
. / 27.94 x 10.16 cm.
About the Artwork:
Designed by KAWS, this iconic toy figurine set is part of the
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Vinyl
KAWS, "Along The Way", Open Edition "Companion" Toy (2019)
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
. / 27.94 x 10.16 cm.
About the Artwork:
Designed by KAWS, this iconic toy figurine set is part of the
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Vinyl
KAWS, "Along The Way", Open Edition "Companion" Toy (2019)
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
. / 27.94 x 10.16 cm.
About the Artwork:
Designed by KAWS, this iconic toy figurine set is part of the
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Vinyl
'Balloon Girl, Love Is The Answer' Street Pop Art Painting, Unique, 2021
By Mr. Brainwash
Located in New York, NY
and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The work also incorporates nostalgic cartoons including Schulz's Peanuts and
Category
2010s Street Art Abstract Paintings
Materials
Archival Ink, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Stencil
'Keep It Real Monkey' Unique Street Pop Art Painting, 2021
By Mr. Brainwash
Located in New York, NY
work also incorporates nostalgic cartoons including Schulz's Peanuts and the instantly recognizable
Category
2010s Street Art Animal Paintings
Materials
Archival Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Magazin...
KAWS Companion 2016 (KAWS Brown Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. This classic KAWS figurative
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Vinyl, Resin
KAWS Companion 2016 (KAWS Brown Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. This classic KAWS figurative
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Companion 2016 (KAWS grey companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Grey Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. Published by Medicom Japan in
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Companion 2016 (Brown KAWS Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. This classic KAWS figurative
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Companion 2016 (Brown KAWS Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. This classic KAWS figurative
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Companion 2016 (KAWS grey companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Grey Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. Published by Medicom Japan in
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Companion 2016 (KAWS Brown Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. This classic KAWS figurative
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Companion 2016 (KAWS Brown Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. This classic KAWS figurative
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Vinyl, Resin
KAWS Companion 2016 (KAWS Brown Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. This classic KAWS figurative
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Companion 2016 (KAWS Brown Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. This classic KAWS figurative
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Companion 2016 (KAWS Brown Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. This classic KAWS figurative
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Companion 2016 (KAWS grey companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Grey Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. Published by Medicom Japan in
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Companion 2016 (KAWS Brown Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. This classic KAWS figurative
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Companion 2016 (KAWS grey companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Grey Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. Published by Medicom Japan in
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Companion 2016 (KAWS Brown Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. This classic KAWS figurative
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Companion 2016 (KAWS Brown Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. This classic KAWS figurative
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Companion 2016 (Brown KAWS Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. This classic KAWS figurative
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Minimalist Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Grey Companion (KAWS flayed companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Flayed Companion, 2016 (Grey)
New and sealed in its original packaging. Published by Medicom
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Grey Companion (KAWS flayed companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Flayed Companion, 2016 (Grey)
New and sealed in its original packaging. Published by Medicom
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Grey Companion (KAWS flayed companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Flayed Companion, 2016 (Grey)
New and sealed in its original packaging. Published by Medicom
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Grey Companion (KAWS flayed companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Flayed Companion, 2016 (Grey)
New and sealed in its original packaging. Published by Medicom
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Grey Flayed Companion (KAWS flayed companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Grey Flayed Companion, 2016:
A standout grey KAWS figurative piece - new/sealed in its
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Grey Flayed Companion (KAWS flayed companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Grey Flayed Companion, 2016:
A standout grey KAWS figurative piece - new/sealed in its
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Grey Flayed Companion (KAWS flayed companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Flayed Companion, 2016 (Grey)
New in its original packaging. Published by Medicom Japan in
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Brown Companion
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. Published by Medicom Japan in
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Brown Companion
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016. New and sealed in its original packaging. Published by Medicom Japan in
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS SNOOPY (Black Small)
By KAWS
Located in Englishtown, NJ
Super soft Kaws X Peanuts collaboration Plush.
NYC inspired edition in the all black design.
Re
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art More Art
Materials
Polyester
KAWS SNOOPY (Black Large)
By KAWS
Located in Englishtown, NJ
Super soft Kaws X Peanuts collaboration Plush.
NYC inspired edition in the all black design.
Re
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art More Art
Materials
Polyester
KAWS brown Companion 2016 & KAWS SEPARATED brown (set of 2 works)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016 & KAWS SEPARATED brown 2021, set of two individual works:
This set
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Minimalist Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS brown Companion 2016 & KAWS SEPARATED brown (set of 2 works)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Companion, 2016 & KAWS SEPARATED brown 2021, set of two individual works:
This set
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Minimalist Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS SNOOPY PLUSH (White Small)
By KAWS
Located in Englishtown, NJ
Super soft Kaws X Peanuts collaboration Plush.
Re-imagined by Kaws complete with the recognizable
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary More Art
Materials
Polyester
KAWS SNOOPY PLUSH (White Large)
By KAWS
Located in Englishtown, NJ
Super soft Kaws X Peanuts collaboration Plush.
Re-imagined by Kaws complete with the recognizable
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Street Art More Art
Materials
Polyester
KAWS, "Along The Way", Open Edition "Companion" Toy (2019)
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
. / 27.94 x 10.16 cm.
About the Artwork:
Designed by KAWS, this iconic toy figurine set is part of the
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Vinyl
KAWS, "Along The Way", Open Edition "Companion" Toy (2019)
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
Designed by KAWS, this iconic toy figurine set is part of the open edition series, from 2019. Along
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Get Updated with New Arrivals
Save "Kaws Peanuts", and we’ll notify you when there are new listings in this category.
KAWS for sale on 1stDibs
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.
Questions About KAWS
- What is a KAWS companion?1 AnswerIrena Orlov ArtMarch 1, 2021Kaws' Companion is a clown-like figure based on a Mickey Mouse with X-ed out eyes.