KAWS CHUM Companion 2022 ():
Published by KAWS to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his famed KAWS’ Chum character; "I can remember clearly packing and shipping the first CHUM release from my apartment in Brooklyn twenty years ago" states the artist upon the quickly sold out release of these figures. Here Chum stands proudly with hands akimbo, complete with KAWS’s signature crossbones head and “X” eyes.

A standout KAWS display piece that is sure to appreciate over time. New and accompanied by its original packaging. Never opened or displayed.

Medium: Vinyl figure. Year: 2022.
Dimensions: 11.6 x 7.7 inches.
New/unopened in original box; excellent condition.
From a sold out edition of unknown.
Stamped on the underside.

More on KAWS CHUM:
CHUM is one of KAWS’s most prominent recurring characters - a character formed from the chubby, amiable logo for Michelin Tires, originally developed in the nineteenth century. “I was interested in him,” the artist has said, “because he was the first cartoon logo that was a made-up cartoon-like personality.” KAWS has used CHUM within the body of his work, for many years, to convey the nuances of human relationships, emotions, and moods.

KAWS is an American graffiti artist and designer known for his toys, paintings, and prints. Born Brian Donnelly on November 4, 1974 in Jersey City, NJ, KAWS graduated with a BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York and went on to work in animation. “When your whole art is based on the lettering you choose, you kinda figure out what ones work together. I just liked the shapes of the k, a, w, s,” he explained of his moniker. Having started as a graffiti artist in New York in the early 1990s, KAWS began reworking advertisements in his distinctive style. Pop Art and culture permeate his cartoonish Companion series of figurines, which bear a resemblance to the works of Takashi Murakami. KAWS worked together with Nike in 2017 to produce an Air Jordan 4 shoe and has done multiple collaborations with the clothing brand Uniqlo, continuing to blur the boundaries between fine and commercial art. The artist is also known for his large scale public installations, such as 2019’s KAWS: Holiday which was installed in the Hong Kong harbor during Basel Hong Kong. In 2019, THE KAWS ALBUM (2005) sold at auction for a record $14.8 million, breaking his previous record of $2.7 million which was set in 2018. This work is a take on the Beatles' famous 1967 album cover for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, but instead replaced with characters from The Simpsons with the artist's signature Xs drawn across their eyes and skull. After years in the industry, KAWS gained approval from his peers in the street art world and more recently prestige from the museum and gallery worlds. Today, his work can be found in the collections at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and the Rosenblum Collection in Paris. KAWS currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.