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KAWS Mixed Media

American

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.

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Artist: KAWS
Yellow Snake skateboard, hand numbered 46/500 Street Art Pop Art skate deck LtEd
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
KAWS Yellow Snake, 2005 Silkscreen on 100% Canadian 7-Ply Maplewood Skateboard 31 × 8 × 3/10 inches Limited Edition of 500 (skate deck is hand numbered 46/500) Rare limited edition e...
Category

Early 2000s Street Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Wood, Mixed Media, Permanent Marker, Screen

KAWS, Signed New Fiction Hardback Book, 2023
By KAWS
Located in Manchester, GB
KAWS Signed New Fiction Hardback Book, 2023 Hardback book 9 1/2 × 7 7/10 in 24.1 × 19.6 cm Hand-signed New Fiction hardback book from Phaidon's sold out release of this art book, f...
Category

2010s Contemporary KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Magazine Paper

KAWS Travis Scott record art
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
After KAWS Travis Scott Record Art, “The Scotts”: Offset lithograph on vinyl record jacket & record labels. 2020. Dimensions: 12 x 12 inches. Condition...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Street Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Offset

Cat Teeth Bank
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
KAWS Cat Teeth Bank (Navy Blue) in original box, 2007 Limited Edition painted cast vinyl 5 × 5 × 1 in Edition of 400 Stamped on the underside This long sold out 2007 KAWS...
Category

Early 2000s Street Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Plastic, Acrylic

KAWS FAMILY (grey KAWS Family companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS FAMILY 2021: A well-received work and variation of KAWS' larger FAMILY sculpture - this highly collectible KAWS Companion set was published on the occ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Resin, Vinyl

Limited Edition KAWS Companion Silkscreened Towel/Wall Hanging LARGE 67" X 35.5"
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
KAWS Oversized Limited Edition Beach Towel/Wall Hanging, 2016 Limited Edition Silkscreen on 100% Cotton with Original Tags attached LARGE: 67 × 35 1/2 × 3/10 inches when unfolded Ne...
Category

2010s Street Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Cotton, Screen, Mixed Media

KAWS: HOLIDAY JAPAN Mount Fuji Ceramic Plate Set (Set of 4)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS: HOLIDAY JAPAN Mount Fuji Ceramic Plate Set (Set of 4): This standout KAWS ceramic plate set was published by All Rights Reserved to commemorate the ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Resin, Vinyl

Hasebe LP
By KAWS
Located in Washington , DC, DC
This vinyl record was designed by KAWS in 2002, very early into his career for DJ Hasebe. This is a rare Japan only release
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Paper

Blanket (Red)
By KAWS
Located in London, GB
100% superfine cashmere 50.98 x 70.98 in (129.5 x 180.3 cm) Edition of 80. Sold in 'as new' / unused condition and in original packaging (as issued). Sold unframed.
Category

2010s Street Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Wool

Kaws Blush Set Flayed & Companion YUZ Museum China Decorative Figures Pop Urban
By KAWS
Located in Draper, UT
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...
Category

2010s Pop Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Resin, Vinyl

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Interview Magazine (Diane von Furstenberg) (Signed by Andy Warhol) /// Pop Art
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: (after) Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987) Title: "Interview Magazine (Diane von Furstenberg)" Series: Interview Magazine *Signed by Warhol in black marker inside, on third page Year: 1981 Medium: Offset-Lithography; The complete November, 1981, Vol. XI, No. 11 issue of "Interview" magazine Overall size: 17" x 11" x .25" Condition: One small tear at right center edge of cover page. In otherwise excellent condition Notes: Provenance: private collection - Sacaramento, CA; acquired at a rare book fair in Pasadena, CA from notable autograph dealer Christophe Stickel. It is boldly signed on the third page at center right within a Barney's, New York advertisement. This is immediately seen once opening the first cover page. Approx. 90 pages total. We unconditionally guarantee the signature to be authentic. "Interview" is an American magazine founded in late 1969 by artist Andy Warhol and British journalist John Wilcock. The magazine, nicknamed "The Crystal Ball of Pop", features interviews with celebrities, artists, musicians, and creative thinkers. Interviews were usually unedited or edited in the eccentric fashion of Warhol's books and "The Philosophy of Andy Warhol: From A to B and Back Again". Diane von Fürstenberg (1946-) is a Belgian fashion designer best known for her wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence in 1969 when she married into the princely German House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon von Fürstenberg. Biography: Andy Warhol ( born Andrew Warhola; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American artist who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationship between artistic expression, celebrity culture, and advertisement that flourished by the 1960s. After a successful career as a commercial illustrator, Warhol became a renowned and sometimes controversial artist. The Andy Warhol Museum in his native city, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, holds an extensive permanent collection of art and archives. It is the largest museum in the United States dedicated to a single artist. Warhol's art used many types of media, including hand drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, silk screening, sculpture, film, and music. He was also a pioneer in computer-generated art using Amiga computers that were introduced in 1984, two years before his death. He founded Interview magazine and was the author of numerous books, including The Philosophy of Andy Warhol and Popism: The Warhol Sixties. He managed and produced The Velvet Underground, a rock band which had a strong influence on the evolution of punk rock music. He is also notable as a gay man who lived openly as such before the gay liberation movement. His studio, The Factory, was a well known gathering place that brought together distinguished intellectuals, drag queens, playwrights, Bohemian street people, Hollywood celebrities, and wealthy patrons. Warhol has been the subject of numerous retrospective exhibitions, books, and feature and documentary films. He coined the widely used expression "15 minutes of fame". Many of his creations are very collectible and highly valuable. The highest price ever paid for a Warhol painting is US$105 million for a 1963 canvas titled "Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster)". A 2009 article in The Economist described Warhol as the "bellwether of the art market". Warhol's works include some of the most expensive paintings...
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1980s Pop Art KAWS Mixed Media

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Autorretrato- 21st Century, Contemporary, Japanese, Fantasy, Natural Materials
By Mari Ito
Located in Barcelona, Catalonia
Complete title: Autorretrato Dentro del Origen del Deseo (The Origin of Desire - Self-Potrait Inside of the Desire's Origin) Mari Ito was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1980. She majored i...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Glue, Sumi Ink, Wood Panel, Washi Paper, Pigment

We Love You...So Love Us Mixed Media Flower Bomber Silkscreen Album Cover & LP
By Banksy
Located in New York, NY
Banksy We Love You...So Love Us, 2000 Mixed Media: Vinyl record held silkscreened album cover 12 1/2 × 12 1/2 × 3/10 inches This rare record album cover was designed by Banksy in 200...
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Early 2000s Street Art KAWS Mixed Media

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Screen, Plastic, Lithograph, Offset, Mixed Media

Madre (Mother), dazzling Silkscreen w/ crystallina (diamond dust) hand signed/n
By RETNA
Located in New York, NY
RETNA Madre (Mother), 2023 Silkscreen and crystallina (diamond dust) on Coventry rag paper Hand signed and numbered by RETNA from the limited edition of only 75 on the front (42/75) ...
Category

2010s Street Art KAWS Mixed Media

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Glitter, Mixed Media, Graphite, Screen, Pencil

Mini moon 1.7 - J. Margulis - kinetic wall sculpture
By Jose Margulis
Located in New York, NY
This unique piece by Margulis is from his latest body of works and is part of an edition of 9. After assembling the Plexiglas sheets onto the aluminium core, he uses acrylic paints t...
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21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary KAWS Mixed Media

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Stainless Steel

The leap OG - J. Margulis - kinetic wall sculpture
By Jose Margulis
Located in New York, NY
This unique piece by Margulis is from his latest body of works and is part of an edition of 9. After assembling the Plexiglas sheets onto the aluminium core, he uses acrylic paints t...
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21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary KAWS Mixed Media

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Stainless Steel

Hajime Sorayama and HR Giger Rare Collaborative Art Book
Located in Draper, UT
This book was published by KALEIDOSCOPE, co-curated by Alessio Ascari and Shinji Nanzuka and was designed by Swiss-based art studio Kasper-Florio. It features a critical essay by Venus Lau and an interview with H.R. Giger and Hajime Sorayama...
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2010s KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Magazine Paper

Portholes 20 - J. Margulis - kinetic wall sculpture
By Jose Margulis
Located in New York, NY
This unique piece by Margulis is from his latest body of works and is a unique piece. After assembling the Plexiglas sheets onto the aluminium core, he uses acrylic paints to cover s...
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21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary KAWS Mixed Media

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Stainless Steel

Peace Dog (Blue)
By Yoshitomo Nara
Located in London, GB
screenprint on cotton edition size unknown 53 x 53 cm 63 x 63 cm (Framed) unsigned
Category

2010s Street Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Cotton, Screen

Up Here Down There
Located in New York, NY
"Up Here Down There" by JR, Oliver Jeffers. 2016. Hand embellished lithograph in colours on 270 grm BFK Rives paper 28.9 x 20.3 inches unframed (please inquire about framed dimensio...
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2010s Street Art KAWS Mixed Media

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Acrylic, Lithograph

R.U.R. / Print / Limited / Collage
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
The original is paper on cartoon, probably from the early 60'ies. Located in a museum. Limited edition of 20 as a fine art print with SalamonArt Certificate. The original of the ite...
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1960s KAWS Mixed Media

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Archival Paper, Magazine Paper

Previously Available Items
Chalk Logo Skateboard Deck Pink By KAWS
By KAWS
Located in London, GB
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...
Category

2010s Contemporary KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Screen, Mixed Media

KAWS FAMILY (grey KAWS Family companion)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS FAMILY 2021: A well-received work and variation of KAWS' larger FAMILY sculpture - this highly collectible KAWS Companion set was published on the occ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Vinyl, Resin

KAWS - Red Blanket, Cashmere, Contemporary Art, Street Art, Urban Art
By KAWS
Located in Hamburg, DE
KAWS (American, b. 1974) Red Blanket, 2019 Medium: 100% superfine cashmere Dimensions: 130 × 180 cm (51 1/5 × 70 9/10 in) Edition size: 85 Publisher: Studio Voltaire, London Conditio...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Street Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Wool

Blue Blanket, Cashmere, Contemporary Art, Street Art, Urban Art
By KAWS
Located in Hamburg, DE
KAWS (American, b. 1974) Red Blanket, 2019 Medium: 100% superfine cashmere Dimensions: 130 × 180 cm (51 1/5 × 70 9/10 in) Edition size: 85 Publisher: Studio Voltaire, London Conditio...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Street Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Wool

Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket, Disney + KAWS, Art Toy, 2010
By KAWS
Located in New York, NY
KAWS and Disney collaboration Art Toy, ‘Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket’ is a heartwarming vinyl duo by street-artist and contemporary master, KAWS. The collectable iconic pair was crea...
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2010s Street Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Resin, Vinyl

Chopsticks (Holiday - Japan)
By KAWS
Located in London, GB
For his Holiday Japan event at the base of Mount Fuji, KAWS released a set of wooden chopsticks. The wooden chopsticks, which feature his famous X motif engraved on each stick, were ...
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21st Century and Contemporary Street Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Wood

KAWS 2009 The Long Way Home (exhibition announcement)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS The Long Way Home: Rare, highly collectible 2000's exhibition announcement for a solo exhibition by KAWS Honor Fraser Gallery, Los Angeles...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Bert & Ernie (Sesame Street) by KAWS
By KAWS
Located in London, GB
20.50 in (52.1 cm) Sold in 'as new' condition, with original publisher tags as issued. 100% Polyester.
Category

2010s Street Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Polyester

Snoopy (large - black) by KAWS
By KAWS
Located in London, GB
21.70 in (55.1 cm) Sold in 'as new' condition. The item has never been used or displayed.
Category

2010s Street Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Polyester

KAWS Record Art (KAWS Travis Scott cover art)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Travis Scott Record Art, “The Scotts”: Offset lithograph on vinyl record jacket & record labels. 2020. Dimensions: 12 x 12 inches. Condition: New/...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

KAWS Record Art (KAWS Travis Scott cover art)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS Travis Scott Record Art, “The Scotts”: Offset lithograph on vinyl record jacket & record labels. 2020. Dimensions: 12 x 12 inches. Condition: New/...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

KAWS Record Art 2008 (Kanye West 808s and Heartbreak 1st pressing)
By KAWS
Located in NEW YORK, NY
KAWS 2008 Record Art: Rare 2008 vinyl 1st Pressing of Kanye West 808s & Heartbreak featuring original offset illustrations by KAWS. Medium: Lithograph in colors on tri-fold out viny...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art KAWS Mixed Media

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Kaws mixed media for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic KAWS mixed media available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of mixed media to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of purple, blue, orange and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by KAWS in paint, synthetic resin paint, vinyl paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the Pop Art style. Not every interior allows for large KAWS mixed media, so small editions measuring 3 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Shawn Kolodny, Plastic Jesus, and Banksy. KAWS mixed media prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $132 and tops out at $18,500, while the average work can sell for $2,106.
Questions About KAWS Mixed Media
  • Irena Orlov ArtMarch 1, 2021
    Kaws' Companion is a clown-like figure based on a Mickey Mouse with X-ed out eyes.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    A KAWS figure is a toy or figurine comparable to an action figure, created by the American artist, Brian Donnelly, who is known professionally as KAWS. Called ‘companions’, the figures are in KAWS’ signature style, and monster-size versions have been seen everywhere from Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Shop a selection of KAWS pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 27, 2024
    What is so special about KAWS is that the American artist creates imaginative pieces that appropriate pop phenomena like the Smurfs, the Simpsons and SpongeBob SquarePants. He is particularly well known for his toys, including his debut figure, Companion, inspired by Mickey Mouse. He has also teamed up with streetwear brands like A Bathing Ape and Supreme and collaborated with designer Kim Jones on the Dior Homme Spring/Summer 2019 collection. Find a range of KAWS art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 1, 2024
    KAWS is famous for producing figures, toys, sculptures, drawings, paintings and prints that borrow from pop culture phenomena like the Smurfs, the Simpsons and SpongeBob SquarePants. In 1999, he partnered with Bounty Hunter, a Japanese toy and streetwear brand, to release his first toy. Called Companion, it was an 8-inch-tall vinyl reimagining of Mickey Mouse, with a skull-and-crossbones head and XX eyes. Companion debuted with a limited run of 500 and sold out quickly. The piece was the first of more than 130 toy designs by KAWS, which came to include such characters as Chum, Blitz, Be@rbrick, BFF and Milo, each immediately recognizable as KAWS figures by their XX eyes. Explore a selection of KAWS art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 16, 2024
    No, Bearbrick and KAWS are not the same. However, they have collaborated with one another many times. KAWS is the pseudonym of the artist Brian Donnelly, while Bearbrick is a brand of collectible designer toys produced by the Japanese company MediCom Toy Incorporated. On 1stDibs, find a variety of KAWS art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 1, 2024
    The word KAWS means an American artist. Born Brian Donnelly, KAWS adopted the name when he was active as a graffiti artist in New Jersey and New York. In interviews, he has explained that KAWS has no particular meaning to him. He simply chose the name because he liked how the characters looked. He is most well known for his line of whimsical figures with double-X eyes. Explore a range of KAWS art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 13, 2024
    KAWS art is the general term for works created by the American artist KAWS. He is best known for his more than 130 toy designs, which include such characters as Chum, Blitz, Be@rbrick, BFF and Milo, each immediately recognizable as his work by their XX eyes. In addition, KAWS produces sculptures, drawings, paintings and prints. On 1stDibs, shop a range of KAWS art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Yes, KAWS are always produced in limited edition runs. KAWS is a New York-based artist who designs limited edition toys and clothing. He is known for creating figurines that mix both high- and low-brow art. Widely popular with pop culture enthusiasts and collectors, KAWS art can only be found through select retailers. Find a range of KAWS art for sale on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    KAWS is an American artist, toy and clothing designer. Born in New Jersey under the name Brian Donnelly, he became interested in graffiti very early on. He earned a BFA and began working for Disney. His artwork gained popularity and he began traveling and designing toys and clothing while continuing art and sculptures. On 1stDibs, find a variety of original artwork from top artists.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMay 5, 2023
    A KAWS FAMILY set is a collection of four sculptures created by artist Brian “KAWS” Donnelly that come in a set. The term family refers to the fact that the set comprises two large and two small figures, so side by side, they resemble parents and children. Donnelly released the sets on September 13, 2021, in an assortment of colorways. On 1stDibs, find a selection of authentic KAWS sculptures.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 25, 2024
    The artist behind KAWS is Brian Donnelly. As a kid in Jersey City, New Jersey, he got into graffiti art, using KAWS as his tag. Today, KAWS creates a diverse range of art and design objects. There are KAWS figures and toys, sculptures, colorful drawings, paintings and prints that appropriate pop phenomena like the Smurfs, the Simpsons and SpongeBob SquarePants. On 1stDibs, shop a range of KAWS art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 3, 2024
    How KAWS makes his sculptures varies. The New Jersey-born artist Brian “KAWS” Donnelly works with a variety of materials, including fiberglass, wood and bronze. By mixing up his techniques and experimenting with different mediums, KAWS can incorporate various colors and textures into his sculptures, figures and toys, and continues to innovate his practice.

    In 1999, KAWS partnered with Bounty Hunter, a Japanese toy and streetwear brand, to release his first toy. 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 (and counterfeiters have since taken notice).

    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.

    Find authentic KAWS art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 21, 2024
    What KAWS’s art means is open to interpretation. 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. Companion is now the most visible of the KAWS posse, appearing over the past decade in new postures and combinations in monumental works. 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 explained in the catalogue for an exhibition at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, in Texas. “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.” On 1stDibs, find a diverse assortment of KAWS art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 16, 2024
    KAWS uses acrylic paint for many of his works. The artist has said in the past that he has custom paints produced for him by the company Golden. When painting his figurines, KAWS uses a technique that makes the brushstrokes virtually invisible. Find a variety of KAWS art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Yes, artist Brian Donnelly, known professionally as KAWS, does make his own art. He admits he has a regimented schedule now that he has children, and finds that this has made him more productive, allowing him to focus on sculptures and paintings in the mornings. On 1stDibs, find a variety of original artwork from top artists.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024
    The most popular KAWS art is a topic that is open to debate. However, his first-ever toy design is a favorite among collectors. Called COMPANION, it is an eight-inch-tall vinyl reimagining of Mickey Mouse with a skull-and-crossbones head and trademark XX eyes. COMPANION debuted with a limited run of 500 and sold out quickly. Find an assortment of KAWS figures on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    The KAWS Take open edition is a type of vinyl figurine sold as a decorative object or work of art. Arton Contemporary produces the figurines in limited quantities. The open edition Take debuted in 2020. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of KAWS art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Brooklyn, New York artist KAWS uses a variety of mediums for his work, with acrylic painting, screen prints and sculptures being the most predominant. On 1stDibs, find a collection of authentic KAWS pieces from some of the world’s top sellers.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 21, 2024
    What makes KAWS’s art unique is the artist's innovative approach to his work. The American artist seamlessly blends elements of Pop art, street art and popular culture into his pieces. He is known for putting a creative spin on familiar characters and his playful figurines, which often feature double-X eyes. On 1stDibs, shop a variety of art by KAWS.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024
    Many people consider KAWS’s art type to be Pop art. The style first emerged in the 1950s. In stark contrast to traditional artistic practice, Pop art’s practitioners drew on imagery from popular culture, using things like comic books, advertising, product packaging and other commercial media to create original paintings, prints and sculptures that celebrated ordinary life in the most literal way. In his work, KAWS similarly appropriates pop phenomena like Mickey Mouse, the Smurfs, the Simpsons and SpongeBob SquarePants. Shop a selection of KAWS art on 1stDibs.

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