KAWS, the Anecdotes of a Pop Art Genius
- Delphine & Romain Class
- Feb 21
- 6 min read
Before KAWS became the globally celebrated contemporary artist we know today, and long before his figurines and characters became cultural icons, he started out on the streets of New York between 1990 and 1995, armed only with markers and spray paint. At that time, he wasn’t exhibiting in galleries or working for high-profile clients—he was immersed in the raw, rebellious world of graffiti.
Using a master key to access the city’s advertising panels, KAWS quickly developed a signature approach: he would transform existing ads rather than merely tagging or painting over them. He inserted his own characters and motifs, creating a surprising and thought-provoking contrast between the commercial imagery and his original creations. For instance, he might replace a mannequin’s face in a subway ad with his iconic “X-eyed” character, offering a playful yet sometimes melancholic twist on familiar commercial messages.
His style blended pop culture, classic cartoons, and references to contemporary art, instantly capturing the attention of passersby and fellow artists. These interventions quickly circulated within New York’s art scene through word of mouth and shared photographs. Even though the works were technically “illegal,” they were perceived as innovative, humorous, and visually striking, laying the foundation for what would become KAWS’s recognizable aesthetic.
This early period in street art is essential to understanding his later work: the fusion of urban culture, contemporary art, and everyday objects, along with his desire to surprise and engage the public outside traditional museum and gallery spaces. It is estimated that he altered over a thousand advertising panels in the streets and subway of New York in the early 1990s. His work was not systematically documented at the time—many of these interventions were temporary and illegal, quickly removed by the city or advertising companies. It is primarily through photographs taken by enthusiasts and shared within the art community that his street art gained recognition.
Among his most notable interventions in the early 1990s, KAWS targeted a McDonald’s advertisement in the New York subway. The ad originally showed Ronald McDonald smiling and presenting a menu. KAWS subtly replaced Ronald’s face with one of his characters, featuring the signature “X” eyes, while keeping the posture and colors of the ad intact. The result was both humorous and subversive: passersby immediately recognized Ronald McDonald, but the sad, cartoonish face of KAWS gave the image a strange, melancholic tone, almost critical of consumer culture. Anecdotally, some travelers were intrigued enough to photograph and discuss the ad, while others assumed it was a printing error or a prank.
Record-breaking sales and a skyrocketing market value
Fifteen years after creating his first vinyl figurines, including Companions and Chum, which quickly became coveted by collectors, KAWS’s limited-edition works saw their market value soar.
In 2019, a monumental work by KAWS titled Along the Way sold at Sotheby’s for over $14 million, a figure that surprised many art enthusiasts and collectors. The sculpture depicts two figures of his iconic Companion character, positioned back-to-back in a posture that evokes solitude, melancholy, and human vulnerability.
A Bridge Between Two Worlds – The sale of Along the Way symbolizes KAWS’s unique ability to navigate different worlds: from illegal, underground graffiti to high-end contemporary art. It demonstrates that he has successfully evolved his practice without abandoning his roots, preserving the playful and critical spirit of his early works while appealing to the market of wealthy collectors.
Cultural Impact – This sale confirmed that KAWS was no longer just a street artist or a creator of cult collectibles, but a major figure in global contemporary art. It also helped propel the value of his works, reinforcing his status as a reference point for collectors and institutions alike.
In summary, this sale has become a symbol of KAWS’s meteoric rise, showing that street art can not only enter museums but also reach unprecedented financial heights, all while retaining its ability to move and surprise audiences.
This was just the beginning of his soaring market value, as his gallery prices nearly tripled on average from 2019 to 2023, and his auction results increased by 30% (source: Artprice).
In 2023, KAWS reached a new milestone with the sale of a limited-edition sculpture, Companion XL—a giant, 4-meter-tall version of his iconic Companion character. The sale took place through Phillips at Art Basel, one of the most prestigious contemporary art fairs in the world.
The work sold for $18 million, a figure confirmed by collectors and market experts. The Companion XL sculpture is monumental and immersive: its life-size scale allows viewers to confront the character directly, enhancing the emotional and interactive impact of KAWS’s work. Like his other Companion pieces, the “X” eyes convey both vulnerability and a sense of melancholy. This limited edition was particularly sought after by collectors in the United States and Asia, highlighting the artist’s international reach and the universal appeal of his visual language.
A Massive Success Across Southeast Asia
Beyond North America and Europe, KAWS is extremely popular in Asia, especially in Southeast Asia, a region where pop culture and street art have a strong influence on younger generations. His works have found an attentive audience in key countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia.
In Singapore, KAWS is highly prized by collectors and contemporary art enthusiasts. His exhibitions at events like Art Stage Singapore drew large crowds, and his limited-edition figurines sell out very quickly, sometimes within minutes. The Singaporean art scene is highly connected through social media, allowing his works to circulate widely and reach a young, international audience.
Hong Kong is another major market for KAWS. Thanks to Art Basel Hong Kong and several prestigious galleries, he has been able to exhibit his monumental sculptures and engage with wealthy collectors. In March 2019, he installed a massive inflatable sculpture of his Companion character in Victoria Harbour, attracting widespread attention and highlighting the playful, interactive nature of his work.
The installation, part of his nomadic project KAWS:HOLIDAY, was displayed from March 22 to 31, 2019, featuring a 37-meter-long Companion figure floating in the harbor, capturing the attention of locals and visitors during Hong Kong Arts Month.
In Thailand, Bangkok has become an urban hub attuned to visual arts and pop culture. Private galleries regularly exhibit his works, and his collaborations with brands like Nike and Medicom Toy have made his characters extremely popular among younger audiences. His most recent KAWS Holiday Thailand figurines sold out within minutes.
In Indonesia, Jakarta and other major cities host exhibitions of street art and contemporary design. While KAWS’s presence is less institutionalized than in Singapore or Hong Kong, his figurines and limited editions are highly sought after, particularly by collectors of sneakers and pop culture.
In Taiwan, Taipei has welcomed multiple public installations and exhibitions by KAWS. His monumental sculptures have drawn large crowds, and limited-edition pieces sell out within minutes of release. Taiwanese audiences actively share his works on social media, creating a vibrant fan community.
The Simpsons: A Key Collaboration
KAWS became interested early on in cartoon icons, and one of his first painting series, around the early 2000s, reimagined the world of the TV show The Simpsons under the name “The Kimpsons.” In these works, he humorously and ironically reinterprets the classic characters — Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie — overlaying them with his signature skull or “X-eyed” face, creating a distinctly KAWS version of The Simpsons that is instantly recognizable yet transformed by his pop-graffiti style. This series was exhibited as early as 2001 at Tokyo First (Parco Gallery).
The pinnacle of this series is the painting The KAWS Album (2005), commissioned by Japanese collector and designer NIGO. This work parodies The Yellow Album (itself a Simpsons-themed parody of the famous Beatles album), replacing the cartoon characters with KAWS-style versions. The piece became extremely famous well after its creation: at a Sotheby’s Hong Kong auction in 2019, it sold for nearly $14.8 million (source: Artprice), far exceeding estimates and setting one of the artist’s record prices.
In total, these works inspired by The Simpsons — often referred to as the Kimpsons series — comprise around fifty paintings created between 2001 and the mid-2000s. They explore various reinterpretations of the characters, transforming familiar scenes from the cartoon into contemporary artworks.
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