Good condition.
Engraved signature, date, and edition number on the underside.
Bronze figure: 79.5 x 50 x 65.5 cm
Stand: 106.7 x 75 x 85.2

Certificate of Authenticity by the artist

Brian Donnelly (b. 1974), better known by his moniker KAWS, is an American contemporary artist and designer widely recognized for his sculptures and paintings featuring his signature characters with X eyes. Growing up in the 1980s—a period when graffiti art was being established as a legitimate form of artistic expression through figures such as FUTURA and STASH—Donnelly naturally became involved in graffiti as a means of communication with his peers. His graffiti tag at the time was KAWS, a name that has since become iconic. From 1993 to 1996, he studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York. After graduation, he worked as an animator by day, creating cel drawings, while at night he engaged in subvertising—altering corporate advertisements on billboards and phone booths across New York City using a special key given to him by fellow graffiti artist Barry McGee.

In 1997, KAWS visited Japan, where he befriended Iwanaga Hikaru, designer of the influential Ura-Harajuku brand BOUNTY HUNTER. Two years later, in 1999, his emblematic character, Companion, was born. Since joining Galerie Perrotin in 2008, KAWS has continued to expand within the context of contemporary art, becoming a major presence in the global art market. His popularity extends beyond the art world—giant Companion figures have appeared in cities worldwide, cementing his status as both a fine artist and a cultural phenomenon.

The present work, WATCHING, is a bronze sculpture measuring 186 cm in height, depicting the iconic Companion seated quietly atop a pedestal, gazing outward in a hunched, introspective posture. It was exhibited in KAWS’s solo show “GONE” at Skarstedt Gallery, New York, in 2018, alongside bronze works such as CHUM and ELMO. Despite the vacant expression of its symbolic X eyes, the Companion’s demeanour conveys a solemn, almost melancholic atmosphere. This piece stands as a quintessential example of KAWS’s signature aesthetic and emotional depth.

“GONE”, November 8 - December 19, 2018, Skarstedt Gallery, New York