KAWS: from New York graffiti to the Companion, the artist who changed art toys

Eyes crossed out with two Xs, a cartoon silhouette, a skull and crossbones for a head: even if you do not know his name, you have probably come across a Companion. Its creator, KAWS, is one of the artists who did the most for art toys. His journey, from graffiti to the auction room, tells the story of the artist figures we collect today in fast-forward.

From New York tags to hijacked ads

Behind KAWS is Brian Donnelly, born on 4 November 1974 in Jersey City, across the Hudson from Manhattan. In the early 1990s, he cut his teeth in graffiti in New York, under the name KAWS. He then graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York and worked in animation.

He soon got noticed for a practice all his own: he hijacked street advertising posters by adding his own characters to them. One foot in street art, the other in pop culture: all of KAWS is already there.

1999: the Companion is born

In 1999, KAWS gave shape to his signature character, the Companion. The first one was released as a vinyl figure with Japanese brand Bounty Hunter in Tokyo, in three colours (black, brown and grey), with 500 copies per colour according to Christie’s records.

That is exactly when the art toy movement was born, between Japan and Hong Kong: artists produced their own figures in small runs, steeped in street culture. KAWS became one of its major figures. From 2006 to 2013, he released his figures and objects under his own brand, OriginalFake.

The Companion comes in endless variations: colours, poses, “dissected” versions showing the inside of the character, giant editions. Every new release is awaited by collectors around the world.

From figures to monumental sculptures

From the 2010s onwards, the Companions grew. KAWS placed them in public spaces, at very large scale, all the way up to giant inflatable versions. In 2015, several of his sculptures were shown on the streets of Amsterdam, like the one at the top of this article.

The most spectacular project is called KAWS:HOLIDAY. In March 2019, a 37-metre-long inflatable Companion, lying on its back, floated in Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong during the city’s arts month.

A painting worth 14.8 million dollars

On 1 April 2019, at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, the painting THE KAWS ALBUM (2005) sold for 115.9 million Hong Kong dollars, or 14.8 million US dollars. It parodies the famous cover of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper album, filled with Simpsons-inspired characters with crossed-out eyes. It belonged to NIGO, the founder of Bape, a long-time collector and friend of KAWS. The price reached nearly fifteen times the high estimate.

That day, the art world understood that the world of art toys, streetwear and graffiti now played in the same league as the big names of contemporary art.

What KAWS changed for art toys

• The figure becomes an artwork: a vinyl character can enter galleries, museums and auction rooms.
• Limited editions create value: short runs, exclusive colours, eagerly awaited releases. Collectors keep boxes and paperwork, because a complete piece is worth more. We cover this in our article on limited edition art toys.
• The bridge between street art and objects: from the wall to the shelf, the same graphic energy. It is also what drives us at Popterror, with our character EQSO, born from marker tags.
• Collaborations: clothing, sneakers, major brands… KAWS showed that an artist’s character can live anywhere.

And at Popterror?

We do not compare ourselves to KAWS, but we share the same culture: graffiti, skateboarding, pop culture, and the desire to turn our characters into pieces you display. Our Series 2 EQSO art toys, Dark Light, Xtra Red and Purple Fire, are 5-inch (12.5 cm) vinyl figures limited to 300 copies each, with a premium box and a signed certificate. To discover the whole universe, read the EQSO story.

Sources: Artnet (biography and 2019 record), Artnet News (Sotheby’s Hong Kong sale), Composition Gallery (Companion editions), Hong Kong Free Press (KAWS:HOLIDAY).