kaws

"KAWS," BRIAN DONNELLY (New Jersey, 1974)
“Companion Blush Red Flayed.”
Vinyl. Open edition.
Publisher: Medicom Toy.
Comes in its original, unopened packaging with a Medicom Toy holographic seal.
Features the artist’s and manufacturer’s printed signatures on the soles of the shoes.
Measurements: 27 x 12 x 7 cm; 30 x 14 x 8 cm (box).
Released to coincide with the “KAWS TOKYO FIRST” exhibition held at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo and preserved in its original sealed box, this vinyl sculpture, produced by Medicom Toy—a Japanese company renowned internationally for its collectible figures—brings together some of the most recognizable elements of KAWS’s visual universe: the fusion of popular culture, comic book language, and the codes of contemporary art.
Crafted in a vibrant shade of pink, this version stands out for its powerful visual presence and the iconic nature of its color palette, combined with KAWS’s characteristic minimalist aesthetic, based on simplified forms, “X”-shaped eyes, and an ironic reinterpretation of familiar characters from mass culture. This edition also holds special significance as it is linked to one of the most important exhibitions dedicated to the artist in Japan, a country with which KAWS has maintained a close relationship since the beginning of his career.
KAWS is one of the most influential creators in contemporary art today. Trained at the School of Visual Arts in New York, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1996, he began his career in the field of street art during the 1990s. He achieved international recognition in the 2000s. His collaborations with international brands such as Nike, Dior, Uniqlo, and The North Face have expanded his presence beyond the traditional art world. Among his most notable exhibitions are “KAWS: ALONE AGAIN” at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (2019), “KAWS: WHAT PARTY” at the Brooklyn Museum (2021), and “KAWS TOKYO FIRST” at the Mori Art Museum (2021).
His works are part of major international public and private collections, including those of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Brooklyn Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, the Yuz Museum, and the National Gallery of Victoria, as well as numerous international private collections.