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.
Clean Slate - Artist Proof - Bronze Sculpture - KAWS contemporary collectable
By KAWS
Located in Manchester, GB
KAWS, Clean Slate (Bronze) (Artist's Proof), 2022 Bronze Sculpture 14.5 x 7.1 x 7.4 cm (5.7 x 2.8 x 2.9 in) AP number 30/50 - aside from a main edition of 250 Signature and Date...
Bronze
Paris Cloud Drawing (signed and inscribed to David) unique work on colored paper
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
KAWS Cloud Drawing done in white marker on colored paper, 2010 Signed, dated and inscribed to David in white marker with a dateline of Paris Floated and framed in a white wood frame ...
Paper, Permanent Marker
KAWS -- Companion (Robert Lazzarini version) (Black)
By KAWS
Located in BRUCE, ACT
KAWS Companion (Robert Lazzarini version) (Black) Painted cast vinyl Size 19.7 × 12.1 × 5.1 cm Edition of 1000 Stamped to the underside of the feet. P...
Resin
Original KAWS Signed Screenprint, 2020, URGE 6
By KAWS
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: KAWS Medium: Screenprint on Saunders Waterford 425gm HP hi-white Title: URGE 6 Portfolio: URGE Year: 2020 Edition: 173/250 Image Size: 11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Sheet Size: 17" x 12 1...
Screen
$2,200Sale Price|25% Off
KAWS - FAMILY Figures - Black version - collectible Pop Art
By KAWS
Located in Dallas, TX
KAWS - FAMILY Figures - Black version New on its original packaging. Medium: Vinyl & Cast Resin Open unknown edition Unsigned
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 conjunction with the exhibition, KAWS: Where The...
Resin, Vinyl
You Should Know I Know
By KAWS
Located in Miami, FL
TECHNICAL INFORMATION KAWS You Should Know I Know 2015 Screenprint 37 1/2 x 32 in. Edition of 250 Pencil Signed and Numbered Accompanied with COA by Gregg Shienbaum Fine Art Condi...
Screen
$28,000Sale Price|20% Off
What Party (Orange), KAWS
By KAWS
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: KAWS (1974) Title: What Party (Orange) Year: 2020 Medium: Silkscreen on Saunders Waterford paper Size: 22 x 22 inches Edition: 100, plus 20 proofs Condition: Excellent Inscri...
Screen
KAWS Companion 2016: complete set of 8 works (KAWS Flayed KAWS full body 2016)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Companion 2016, Complete Set of 8 works. Each new and sealed in original packaging. Published by Medicom Japan in conjunction with the exhibition, KAWS: Where The End Starts at ...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Along The Way Grey (grey KAWS Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Along The Way (Grey). New and unopened in its original box: This highly collectible KAWS Along The Way figure is a rendition of the artist's 2013 18 foot wood sculpture origina...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Holiday Companion (KAWS holiday Hong Kong)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Hon Kong 'Holiday' Companion 2019: This figurine was published by All Rights Reserved to commemorate the debut of a large scale KAWS floating figure in Hong Kong's Victoria Harb...
Resin, Vinyl
Young-Hee - Squid Game
By KAWS
Located in London, GB
KAWS, the renowned contemporary artist, has collaborated with Netflix and AllRightsReserved to reinterpret "Young-Hee," the iconic doll from the popular series Squid Game. This col...
Resin, Vinyl
MBF: 'Man's Best Friend' X Silkscreen Print, Signed, 2016, Framed
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
The specific information regarding edition will be provided at the time of sale. Please contact the seller for more details. The ‘Man's Best Friend' X by KAWS is a signed, numbered,...
Screen
KAWS KACHAMUKKU (complete set of two works)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Kachamukku 2022: complete set of 2 works: KAWS Kachamukku was born out of a unique collaboration between KAWS and the popular children’s Japanese ...
Vinyl, Nylon
Bronze - At This Time, 2022 Limited Edition (Ed. 250) Bronze Sculpture by KAWS
By KAWS
Located in Hong Kong, HK
Bronze - At This Time, 2022
Bronze sculpture with original case
Incised signature, date and number on the bottom,
Signed on the certificate
14.1 × 6.5...
Bronze
Astro Boy Sculpture, KAWS Pop Art Figurine, Limited Edition 2013
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
The ‘Astro Boy’ in vivid color was re-imagined by KAWS in collaboration with Original Fake and created by Medicom Toy. This collectable art figurine is made of vinyl and is part of t...
Resin, Plastic
Bronze - Passing Through, 2022 Limited Edition of 250. Bronze Sculpture by KAWS
By KAWS
Located in Hong Kong, HK
Bronze - Passing Through, 2022
Bronze sculpture with original case
Incised signature, date and number on the bottom,
Signed on the certificate
11 × 6...
Bronze
KAWS Changbai brown (KAWS holiday chanbgai)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Holiday Changbai Mountain (KAWS brown Changbai): A beautifully composed KAWS COMPANION published to commemorate KAWS' larger-scale sculpture of same, at Changbai Mountain in Jil...
Resin, Vinyl
Blame Game IV Screen Print by KAWS, Signed, Limited Edition, 2014
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
The ‘Blame Game' IV by KAWS is an exceptionally rare screenprint, one of the ten in the portfolio series created in 2014. A completely new, individual, brightly colored screenprint s...
Screen
$576Sale Price|20% Off
HOLIDAY INDONESIA - ACCOMPLICE Figure (Black)
By KAWS
Located in Dallas, TX
KAWS:HOLIDAY KAWS:HOLIDAY INDONESIA - Figure (Black) SPECIFICATION • Material: Vinyl • Dimension: L11.5 inches • Certificated NFC chip of authenticity For this tenth stop on the tou...
Plastic
KAWS, Blame Game, 2014, Screen print, Printers proof edition of 5
By KAWS
Located in Bristol, GB
Screenprint Printers proof 2 of an edition of 5, aside from the main edition of 100 88.8 x 58.4 cm (34.9 x 23 in) Framed: 101 x 70.5 cm with Acrylic Signed and dated on the front Ar...
Screen
Chul-Su - Squid Game
By KAWS
Located in London, GB
KAWS, the renowned contemporary artist, has collaborated with Netflix and AllRightsReserved to reinterpret "Chul-Su," from the popular series Squid Game. This collaboration has res...
Resin, Vinyl
$3,424Sale Price|25% Off
KAWS x Peanuts Joe Snoopy Vinyl Figure
By KAWS
Located in BRUCE, ACT
KAWS x Peanuts Joe Snoopy Vinyl Figure, 2011 The KAWS x Peanuts Joe Snoopy Vinyl Figure stands about 21 cm tall, and the mostly white Joe Snoopy is donning a yellow t-shirt with "JOE...
Vinyl
BFF Blue (MoMA Exclusive)
By KAWS
Located in Milano, MI
KAWS is a Brooklyn-based artist whose influential body of work masterfully synthesizes the worlds of art and design. Across painting, murals, large-scale sculpture, and street art, a...
Resin
KAWS Companion 2016: set of 2 works (KAWS companion set)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Companion 2016 (Set of 2 individual works): each, new and sealed in their original packaging. These iconic KAWS figurative sculptures were published by Medicom Japan in conjunct...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS COMPANION 2020: Complete Set of 3 Works (KAWS 2020 set)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS 2020 Companion: Complete Set of 3 Works: KAWS COMPANION 2020 was created by KAWS to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his signature figure, Companion — and as cultural commen...
Resin, Vinyl
Kaws Companion (Blush Flayed) Vinyl Sculpture, Contemporary Art, 2017
By KAWS
Located in Englishtown, NJ
Super vibrant Blush flayed edition of the classic Kaws Companion figure. Released in conjunction with the exhibition Where The End Starts at the Yuz Museum in Shanghai in 2017. One f...
Vinyl
KAWS CHUM orange companion (KAWS Chum)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS CHUM Companion 2022 (orange): Published by KAWS to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his famed KAWS’ Chum character; "I can remember clearly packing and shipping the first CHU...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS SHARE complete set of 3 works (KAWS Share companion set)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS SHARE Companion (Set of 3): Complete Set of 3 KAWS SHARE figurative sculptures, 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). New/never displayed & accompanied by original packaging. Medium: Painted Vinyl Cast Resin. 12.4 x 6.3 inches (applies to each individual). New, unopened in its original box; excellent condition. From a sold out edition of unknown. Stamped to the underside of foot. 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’ art possesses a sophisticated humor and thoughtful critique of consumer products. His bold, high-minded graphic language revitalizes figuration with big, bold gestures and keen, playful intricacy. KAWS’ figures...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS SPACE HOLIDAY SET GOLD, BLACK, SILVER Full set Contemporary Street Art
By KAWS
Located in Draper, UT
Space Holiday Hong Kong KAWS Open unknown edition Unsigned
Polyurethane
KAWS BFF Black (KAWS BFF Companion)
By KAWS
Located in London, GB
KAWS KAWS BFF Black (KAWS BFF Companion), 2017 Vinyl and cast resin sculpture Signature to feet Presented in original box, and accompanied by unique ho...
Resin
KAWS Monster (KAWS Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Chocula Monster: A highly collectible & super decorative KAWS art toy, featuring the famed cereal character: Count Chocula. A playful exploration of KAWS’ love for this timeless pop cultural character featuring his signature motifs. New / never displayed; accompanied by full original packaging. Medium: Vinyl art toy. Approximately: 11.4 × 6.3 inches. New in original packaging. Published by the artist from a sold out edition of unknown. Further background: “Inspired by classic horror film characters, the Monster Cereals...
Resin, Vinyl
Small Lie Sculpture, Pop Art, Vinyl Paint, 2010+, New, 11x3.75 in
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
KAWS, born 1974 in New Jersey, is a multi-faceted New York based artist. KAWS began his career as a graffiti artist in Jersey City, taking to the streets at night and painting over a...
Vinyl
KAWS CHUM (KAWS white Chum companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS CHUM Companion 2022 (white): Published by KAWS to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his famed KAWS’ Chum character; "I can remember clearly packing and shipping the first CHUM...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Companion: set of 10 works (KAWS Brown Companion set)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Companion 2016-2021: A sharply curated set of 10 distinguished individual Brown KAWS Companions new & unopened in original packaging. Dimensions as follows: KAWS Clean Slate, 2...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS TOGETHER Grey SEALED (KAWS grey together)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS TOGETHER Companion 2018: A rare sealed/unopened example in excellent condition. Medium: Vinyl Paint & Cast Resin. 10 x 8 inches. New/sealed in its original packaging; pac...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS, Lost Time, 2018, Screenprint in colours on wove paper, Edition of 100
By KAWS
Located in Bristol, GB
Screenprint in colours on wove paper Edition 55 of 100 81.3 x 135.3 cm (32 x 53.2 in) Signed and numbered on the front Mint Published by Pace Prints Our mission is to connect art co...
Screen
KAWS SMALL LIE Brown (brown KAWS Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS SMALL LIE Brown: Among KAWS’s signature “Companions,” Small Lie has the most childlike resonance. Clothed in overall shorts, the Pinocchio-inspired figure bows its head in sham...
Resin, Vinyl
$480Sale Price|20% Off
KAWS Monster posters set of 4 (KAWS posters)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS General Mills posters: complete set of 4 works (2022): These highly decorative KAWS posters feature the artist's rendition of iconic cereal characters, Boo-Berry, Count Chocula,...
Paper
$1,088Sale Price|20% Off
KAWS BAPE Dissected Milo (Brown)
By KAWS
Located in BRUCE, ACT
KAWS BAPE Dissected Milo (Brown) 2011 Painted cast resin Size: 19 x 16.5 cm Stamped on the underside of the feet Come with the original box KAWS Dissected Milo was born out of a col...
Resin
KAWS Singapore brown (KAWS Holiday companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Holiday Companion (KAWS Singapore): This standout KAWS art toy features KAWS' signature character COMPANION in a resting position. Published to commemorate the debut of K...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Clean Slate Grey (KAWS grey Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Clean Slate (grey) new & unopened in its original packaging. A well-received work and variation of KAWS' large scale Clean Slate sculpture - a key highlight of KAWS’ major...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Untitled Green Image From the Urge Series Signed Limited Screenprint
By KAWS
Located in Minneapolis, MN
Artist: KAWS Title: Untitled Green Image from the Urge Series Medium: Limited Edition Screenprint Sheet Size: 18" x 11" Image Size: 11.25" x 8.5" Frame Size: 19.25" x 16.725" x 1.25"...
Paper, Screen
KAWS Along The Way: complete set of 3 (KAWS Companion Along The Way set)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Along The Way: Complete Set of 3 works: new and unopened in original packaging. The KAWS Along The Way figurine is a rendition of the artist's 2013 18 foot wood sculpture origin...
Resin, Vinyl
Untitled Orange Companion Lithograph, Signed, Late 20th Century, 17x17
By KAWS
Located in Minneapolis, MN
Artist: KAWS Title: Untitled (Orange Companion) Medium: Lithograph on Paper Size: 17" x 17" sheet Inscription: Signed KAWS' companion has become an iconic figure in contemporary art...
Lithograph, Paper
KAWS Companion 2016: set of 6 works (KAWS Flayed KAWS full body 2016)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Companion 2016: Set of 6 works. Each new and sealed in original packaging. Published by Medicom Japan in conjunction with the exhibition, KAWS: Where The End Starts at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. These figurines have since sold out. Set includes 3 colors: Black, Brown and Grey, each in two variations (KAWS full body and KAWS flayed). A standout, definitive KAWS Companion set that would look excellent displayed. New/never displayed & accompanied by original packaging. Medium: Vinyl Paint, Cast Resin. Year: 2016. Dimensions (applies to each individual): 11 × 5 inches. Each new, unopened in in their original packaging. Stamped on the underside of each foot from a sold out edition of unknown. Provenance: MoMa New York. KAWS: 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...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS BFF Blue, Best Friend Forever 2017 Figure
By KAWS
Located in Draper, UT
Kaws BFF, Best Friend Forever Figure from 2017. New condition still in the package. A great contemporary pop figure by the legendary KAWS. Open unknown ...
Resin
KAWS The Promise set of 2 works (KAWS Companion set)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS The Promise (set of 2 works): A unique KAWS Companion set in the artist’s signature black & grey color ways. KAWS The Promise features a blue &...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Holiday Taipei (KAWS brown Taipei Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Brown Holiday Companion (KAWS Taipei): This figurine features KAWS' signature character COMPANION in a resting seated position. The piece was published by All Rights Reserved t...
Vinyl
KAWS HOLIDAY UK set of 2 works (KAWS United Kingdom)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS: HOLIDAY United Kingdom: Set of 2 works (KAWS UK): KAWS' signature character COMPANION presented in an upright standing position with its eyes covered. 2 individual works (bla...
Resin, Vinyl
Complete Set of the "Changbai Mountain" KAWS Sculptures in 3 Colorways Korea
By KAWS
Located in Draper, UT
Released as a special edition in Korea in conjunction with the Snowy Mountain installation (pictured) Set of 3 Sculptures in Original Packaging and Sealed Unused, Undisplayed Stands ...
Vinyl
KAWS -- Blame Game II
By KAWS
Located in BRUCE, ACT
KAWS Blame Game II from the Blame Game portfolio,, 2014 Screen print on Saunders Waterford High White paper Hand signed lower right Numbered PP 2/5 Sheet size: 89 x 58.5 cm Frame s...
Screen
KAWS COMPANION 2020: Complete Set of 3 Works (KAWS 2020 set)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS 2020 Companion: Complete Set of 3 Works: KAWS COMPANION 2020 was created by KAWS to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his signature figure,...
Resin, Vinyl
$2,595Sale Price|25% Off
KAWS -- Bendy (Green)
By KAWS
Located in BRUCE, ACT
KAWS Bendy (Green) 2003 Painted vinyl 35.6 x 7.6 cm Stamped to the reverse Limited edition of 500 Coming in its original box
Vinyl
KAWS Fellows Blue (blue KAWS Fellows companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Fellows (Blue): This standout KAWS art toy features KAWS' signature character COMPANION in a uniquely severed position. Published on occasion of KAWS’ 2026 exhibition at Space K...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Holiday SPACE Companion (KAWS black space holiday)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS:HOLIDAY SPACE (Black), is a celebration of 20 years of the KAWS Companion. Using a sounding balloon, the KAWS:HOLIDAY SPACE was sent up 41.5km into the stratosphere before retuning to Earth. Reminiscent of KAWS’ MTV VMA Moonman trophy (2013), the sculpture features a derailed space suit complete with hoses, valves and more. A standout KAWS display piece constructed with a bright metallic mirrored feel and much heavier body than the artist’s vinyl pieces. Medium: Polyurethane Figure. Black color way. Year: 2020. Dimensions: 11.5 inches in height. New in original packaging; excellent condition. From a sold out edition of unknown. Stamped on the underside. Published by All Rights Reserved. Artist Statement: “So many projects have been cancelled this...
Polyurethane
$269Sale Price|34% Off
KAWS, New Fiction Book, 2023
By KAWS
Located in Manchester, GB
KAWS, New Fiction Book, 2023 9 1/2 × 7 7/10 in 24.1 × 19.6 cm Hand-signed New Fiction hardback book from Phaidon's sold out release featuring 230 illustrations in this 280-page boo...
Magazine Paper
KAWS Holiday Singapore (KAWS Holiday companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Black Holiday Companion (KAWS Singapore): This standout KAWS art toy features KAWS' signature character COMPANION in a resting position. Published to commemorate the debut of K...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Running Chum announcement 2012
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Vintage 2012 KAWS exhibition invitation Published on the occasion of: “IMAGINARY FRIENDS”: Galerie Perrotin in Paris, 2012 (imagery: KAWS Running Chum). Offset printed. 5x7.5 inche...
Lithograph, Offset
KAWS Holiday SHANGHAI (complete set of 3 works)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS: HOLIDAY Shanghai: complete set of 3 works: KAWS' signature character COMPANION presented holding the moon, and gazing at the sky. New in original packaging - published to comm...
Resin, Vinyl