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.
$3,960Sale Price|20% Off
KAWS - Clean Slate - Set of 2 - Grey and Black Version
By KAWS
Located in Dallas, TX
KAWS Clean Slate - set of 2 (Grey & Black version), new & unopened in its original packaging. Sold Out versions after the artist's retrospect exhibiti...
Resin, Vinyl
$6,800Sale Price|20% Off
Metal Chogokin 200% Dissected Bearbrick
By KAWS
Located in Washington , DC, DC
Beautiful metal KAWS Dissected Bearbrick with articulated joints. Instead of the usual plastic or vinyl used for his toys, this beautiful piece is made ...
Metal
KAWS x Supreme Chalk Logo Skateboard Deck Pink
By KAWS
Located in Dubai, Dubai
Chalk Logo Skateboard Deck, Pink By KAWS KAWS, the pseudonym of American artist Brian Donnelly, is widely recognized for his distinctive blend of street art and pop culture iconog...
Plywood
KAWS Passing Through Companion 2018 (KAWS companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Grey Passing Through Companion 2018. New and sealed in its original packaging. The most iconic of the KAWS Companions, this passing through piece was published by KAWS One Med...
Resin, Vinyl
$1,750Sale Price|30% Off
KAWS "Holiday Space, " 2020
By KAWS
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Artist/Designer; Manufacturer: KAWS aka Brian Donnelly (American, b. 1974); Medicom Toy Corporation Marking(s); notes: marking(s); 2020 Materials: painted cast vinyl Dimensions (H, ...
Mixed Media
KAWS Holiday Indonesia: set of 2 works (KAWS Indonesia)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Holiday Indonesia: complete set of 2 works (KAWS Indonesia): These figurative vinyl sculptures feature KAWS' Accomplice character in a resting position; published on the occasio...
Resin, Vinyl
$4,680Sale Price|20% Off
KAWS - Clean Slate - Set of 3 - Grey and Black Version
By KAWS
Located in Dallas, TX
KAWS Clean Slate - set of 3 (Grey, Black & Brown version), new & unopened in its original packaging. Sold Out versions after the artist's retrospect exhibition at the Modern Art Muse...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Companion 2016 (set of 3 KAWS Flayed companions)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Flayed Companion 2016: Set of 3 individual works. KAWS Black Flayed, KAWS Brown Flayed & KAWS Grey Flayed Companions - each, new and sealed in origin...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Companion Flayed & Companion Editions Vinyl Figure Complete Set of 8 Sealed
By KAWS
Located in Draper, UT
Package Dimensions 14.25 x 8.58 x 3.62 inches Item Weight 1.17 pounds Sculptures are in Pristine Condition and have been stored safely since 2016. The figures are both sealed in cl...
Vinyl
KAWS CHUM pink (KAWS Chum Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS CHUM Companion 2022 (pink): Published by KAWS to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his famed KAWS’ Chum character; "I can remember clearly packing and...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS:Holiday UK Ceramic Container set of 2
By KAWS
Located in Washington , DC, DC
Set of 2 large 17 inch tall glazed ceramic containers. Each comes as two pieces which would be stacked together. With original boxes. Edition of 100...
Ceramic
$1,080Sale Price|20% Off
Small Lie Brown
By KAWS
Located in Washington , DC, DC
Small Lie Brown Open unknown edition Unsigned
Paint, Vinyl
KAWS X BE@RBRICK BWWT 400%
By KAWS
Located in BRUCE, ACT
KAWS X BE@RBRICK BWWT 400%, 2005 Karimoku wood Edition of 400 Size 27.3 × 12.7 × 8.9 cm Incised on the reverse 'MEDICOM TOY / LIFE ENTERTAINMENT / JAPAN / ©KAWS..05' Produced by Medi...
Wood
KAWS SHARE (KAWS black share companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS SHARE (Black), new & unopened in its original packaging: KAWS SHARE first appeared in 'BLACKOUT' – the first London solo exhibition by KAWS (Skarstedt London 2019). In SHARE, ...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Gone, 2019, Limited Edition Print and Limited Edition Exhibition Book
By KAWS
Located in Draper, UT
KAWS, 2019, Limited Edition screenprint from an edition 380 of 750. 15 in x 12 in. Signed and numbered by artist. Incredible print and beyond iconic. Great investment in one of the p...
Screen
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 - Holiday: Singapore (Black Edition) - Pop Art
By KAWS
Located in Asheville, NC
KAWS - Holiday: Singapore (Black Edition) - Pop Art Artists KAWS Edition Details Year: 2021 Class: Toy Status: Official Released: 11/13/21 Paper: Vinyl Abo...
Resin, Plastic
KAWS - What Party - Pink - Pop Art
By KAWS
Located in Asheville, NC
KAWS is a multi-faceted artist straddling the worlds of art and design in his prolific body of work that ranges from paintings, murals, and large-scale sculptures to product design a...
Plastic
$2,080Sale Price|20% Off
KAWS Gone Brown Figure, Pop Art Vinyl & Resin, 14in, Unsigned, 2010+
By KAWS
Located in Dallas, TX
KAWS Gone- Brown version New on its original packaging. Medium: Vinyl & Cast Resin Open unknown edition Unsigned
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS - Holiday: Singapore (Grey Edition) - Pop Art
By KAWS
Located in Asheville, NC
KAWS - Holiday: Singapore (Grey Edition) - Pop Art Artists KAWS Edition Details Year: 2021 Class: Toy Status: Official Released: 11/13/21 Paper: Vinyl Abou...
Resin, Plastic
KAWS SEPARATED set of 2 works (KAWS Separated Companion set)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS SEPARATED (Set of 2 Works: Black & Grey): each new & unopened in original packaging: These highly collectible KAWS SEPARATED figures are derived fr...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS, Gone - Screenprint incl. Limited Edition Catalogue, Signed Print
By KAWS
Located in Hamburg, DE
KAWS (American, b. 1974) Gone, 2019 Medium: Screenprint on Arches Aquarelle 300gsm (incl. limited edition catalogue for the exhibition of KAWS: Companionship in the Ages of Lonelines...
Screen
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 Hand Signed Book Contemporary Street Art
By KAWS
Located in Draper, UT
The definitive study of the work of KAWS, one of the most influential and much-loved forces in contemporary art and culture. This edition has been signed by KAWS. KAWS is one of the...
Archival Paper
KAWS BFF Blue (KAWS Blue BFF Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Blue BFF Companion (vinyl), new in its original packaging. A well-received work and variation of KAWS' large scale BFF sculpture in Los Angeles's Playa...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Flayed Companions 2016 (set of 2 KAWS flayed companions)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Flayed Companion: Set of 2. KAWS grey flayed & KAWS brown flayed. Each, new and sealed in their original packaging. Published by Medicom Japan in conj...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Gone Grey Figure, Pop Art Vinyl & Resin, Unsigned, 14in, 2010+
By KAWS
Located in Dallas, TX
KAWS Gone- Grey version New on its original packaging. Medium: Vinyl & Cast Resin Open unknown edition Unsigned
Resin, Vinyl
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 Book Phaidon Edition Brooklyn What Party Signed Edition Of 500
By KAWS
Located in Draper, UT
Condition: Book is in pristine condition and only opened to photograph the signature. Signature: Hand-signed by artist, Hand Signed By The Artist in Black Sharpie, KAWS 2021...
Black and White
Companion (Brown) Open Edition
By KAWS
Located in Washington , DC, DC
Companion (Brown) Open unknown edition Unsigned
Plastic
$1,000Sale Price|20% Off
KAWS Small Lie Black Version Sculpture, Resin and Vinyl Paint, 2010+
By KAWS
Located in Dallas, TX
In December 2017, KAWS released a new version of his classic companion character, titled "Small Lie". The figure features the companion slumped over in what appears to be a disappoin...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS SEPARATED Companion (set of 2 works)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS SEPARATED (set of 2 works: brown & grey): each new & unopened in original packaging: This highly collectible KAWS SEPARATED set of 2, is derived fr...
Resin, Vinyl
$1,200Sale Price|20% Off
KAWS Blush 2016 & KAWS WHAT PARTY white (set of 2 works)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Red Blush Companion 2016 & KAWS WHAT PARTY white: set of two individual works: Each piece is ew and sealed in its original packaging. The K...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Along The Way Black Sculpture, Vinyl & Resin, Pop Art, 2010+
By KAWS
Located in Dallas, TX
KAWS Along The Way - Black version New & unopened in its original packaging. Medium: Vinyl & Cast Resin Open unknown edition Unsigned Provenance: Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS SEPARATED Companion (KAWS brown Separated Companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS SEPARATED COMPANION: New & unopened in its original packaging: This highly collectible brown KAWS SEPARATED figure is derived from the Brooklyn based artist’s larger scale sculp...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS WHAT PARTY white (KAWS white what party)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS WHAT PARTY Companion: This KAWS Companion vinyl sculpture features KAWS' CHUM character in a hunched position. Published to commemorate the debut of KAWS’ larger scale sculptur...
Resin, Vinyl
$210Sale Price|40% Off
Kaws Holiday Japan Mount Fuji (Blue)
By KAWS
Located in Englishtown, NJ
Cute and stylish Kaws Mount Fuji from his Holiday Japan collection. Limited Edition. Edition number is listed on custom Kaws Tag. Released for the Kaws outdoor exhibition at Mount Fu...
Polyester
$1,020Sale Price|20% Off
KAWS - Companion - Brown version- MOMA 2017 - Painted Cast Vinyl
By KAWS
Located in Dallas, TX
KAWS's cartoonish style—including his best-known characters with X-ed out eyes—has its roots in his early career as a street artist, when he began replacing advertisements with his o...
Resin, Vinyl
Complete Set of 2 Kachamukku Authentic KAWS Art Sculptures
By KAWS
Located in Draper, UT
KAWS teamed up with Hirake! Ponkikki’s Gachapin and Mukku for the release of his Kachamukku figures. KAWS KACHAMUKKU figures released in a green and re...
Plastic, 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
KAWS "What Party" Brooklyn Vinyl Figure Street Art Yellow 20th Anniversary
By KAWS
Located in Draper, UT
KAWS Chum Vinyl Figure (20th Anniversary) Yellow Artist: KAWS Medium: Painted Rotocast Vinyl Title: Chum Vinyl Figure Yellow Portfolio: Chum Figures (20th Anniversary) Edition: Open edition Image Size: 11 1/2" × 7 3/4" × 3 1/2" Signed: Stamped Signature Each figure stands at 11.3 x 5.1 x 3.7 inches tall, and showcases the Chum character bent over...
Vinyl
$1,836Sale Price|20% Off
KAWS - Set of 2 Companion Blush (Flayed) and Companion Blush- Painted Cast Vinyl
By KAWS
Located in Dallas, TX
KAWS's cartoonish style—including his best-known characters with X-ed out eyes—has its roots in his early career as a street artist, when he began replacing advertisements with his ...
Resin, Vinyl
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...
Resin, Vinyl
$1,088Sale Price|20% Off
KAWS BAPE Dissected Milo (White)
By KAWS
Located in BRUCE, ACT
KAWS BAPE Dissected Milo (White) 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
Accomplice (pink) by KAWS
By KAWS
Located in Dubai, Dubai
Accomplice (pink) By KAWS 2002 Signed in plate Vinyl, paint 23 x 7 x 6 cm Edition of 1000
Vinyl
KAWS Black Companions: set of 10 (KAWS Companion 2018-2021)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Companion 2018-2021: A curated set of 10 individual Black KAWS Companions new & unopened in original packaging. KAWS Clean Slate, 2018: 14.25 x 8 inches. KAWS Along The Way 2019: 10.5 x 9 inches. KAWS Holiday Space 2020: 11.5 inches in height. KAWS What Party: 11 x 5 inches. KAWS Holiday Taipei: 5.5 x 7 inches. KAWS Share: 12.4 x 6.3 inches. KAWS Separated 2021: 7.75 x 6 inches. KAWS BFF: 13 x 5.7 inches KAWS 2020...
Resin, Vinyl
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
Small Lie Mono
By KAWS
Located in Washington , DC, DC
Small Lie Mono Open unknown edition Unsigned
Paint, 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
$2,120Sale Price|25% Off
KAWS Clean Slate Black Vinyl Figure, Pop Art, 2010s, Unsigned, 14.25"
By KAWS
Located in Dallas, TX
KAWS Clean Slate (Black), new & unopened in its original packaging. Sold Out after the artist's retrospect exhibition at the Modern Art Museum of Fo...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS "What Party" Brooklyn Museum Sculpture Contemporary Street
By KAWS
Located in Draper, UT
KAWS WHAT PARTY (orange): KAWS orange WHAT PARTY Companion featuring KAWS' CHUM character in a hunched position. Published to commemorate the debut of KAWS’ larger...
Vinyl
KAWS TAKE Companion (KAWS black companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS TAKE (Black) new & unopened in its original packaging. A standout KAWS Companion figure and variation of KAWS' large scale TAKE sculpture - a key highlight of the exhibition, '...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS SMALL LIE Grey & KAWS Along The Way Grey (set of 2 works)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS SMALL LIE Companion & KAWS Along The Way Grey (2 works): This curated grouping features two of KAWS' most iconic pieces: KAWS’s Small Lie features the Pinocchio-inspired figure ...
Resin, Vinyl
$1,200Sale Price|20% Off
KAWS BFF Black Edition
By KAWS
Located in Washington , DC, DC
KAWS BFF Black Edition Open unknown edition Unsigned
Vinyl, Paint
KAWS SMALL LIE complete set of 3 works (KAWS small lie companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS SMALL LIE: Complete Set of Three. Each new and sealed in their original packaging. These KAWS figurative pieces are a rendition of Small Lie produced in collaboration with Qatar...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Flayed Companion 2016: set of 2 works (KAWS companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Companion 2016: Set of 2 KAWS Flayed Companions (Brown & Red). Each, new and sealed in original packaging. Published by Medicom Japan in conjunction with the exhibition, KAWS: W...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Small Lie Companion (set of 3 works)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Small Lie Companion: Set of 2 works (brown and grey). Each new and sealed in their original packaging. Among KAWS’s signature “Companions,” Small Lie has the most childlike re...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS Holiday SPACE: complete set of 3 works (KAWS space set)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS: HOLIDAY SPACE: Complete Set of 3 (Silver, Black & Gold), 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 individual sculptures feature a derailed space suit complete with hoses, valves and more. A standout KAWS display set constructed with a bright metallic mirrored feel as well as a significantly heavier body compared to the artist’s traditional vinyl figures. New/never displayed & accompanied by original packaging. Medium: Polyurethane Figure. Set of 3 individual works. Year: 2020. Dimensions: 11.5 inches in height. Each new & accompanied by their original box; never displayed; excellent condition. Stamped on the underside of each foot. Published by All Rights Reserved from a sold out edition of unknown. KAWS SPACE...
Polyurethane
KAWS - Along The Way - Black, Brown and Grey Version (set of 3)
By KAWS
Located in Dallas, TX
KAWS Along The Way (Set of 3), Black, Brown and Grey versions. New & unopened in its original packaging. Medium: Vinyl & Cast Resin Open unknown edition Unsigned Provenance: Modern...
Resin, Vinyl
KAWS WHAT PARTY Companion (KAWS black what party)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS WHAT PARTY Black: This KAWS Companion vinyl sculpture features KAWS' signature CHUM character in a sloping position. Published to commemora...
Resin, Vinyl
$2,800Sale Price|20% Off
Take (Blue)
By KAWS
Located in Washington , DC, DC
Take (Blue) Open unknown edition Unsigned
Resin, Vinyl