KAWS’s Dissected Companion (Brown), created in 2006, is a limited edition screenprint measuring 20 by 20 inches. The artwork depicts KAWS’s iconic Companion character in a dissected form, revealing anatomical details on one half while maintaining the familiar cartoon-like exterior on the other. Rendered with shades of brown, gray, and other muted tones, this piece highlights the contrast between the playful, simplified outer appearance and the intricate, almost medical-like detail of the inner anatomy. The cross-sectional view includes organs, muscles, and other bodily structures, all stylized in KAWS's signature graphic and flat aesthetic. This split design creates a striking visual dichotomy that invites viewers to explore themes of identity, perception, and the relationship between the surface and what lies beneath. Dissected Companion (Brown) is a powerful example of KAWS’s ability to blend pop art with street culture, offering both a familiar and unsettling perspective on contemporary figures.
KAWS (USA, 1974), born Brian Donnelly, is a contemporary artist and designer celebrated for his cartoon-inspired sculptures, paintings, and collectible toys. Merging street art and pop culture, his iconic 'Companion' figures and bold graphics have reached global audiences, bridging the worlds of fine art, fashion, and commercial design.
Screen-print Screen printing is a technique where ink is transferred through a mesh onto a substrate, with areas blocked by a stencil to prevent ink from passing through. This method, also known as serigraphy or silkscreen printing, is commonly used to produce prints on posters, T-shirts, vinyl, stickers, wood, and other materials. The process is a type of stencil printing, allowing for vibrant, detailed designs on various surfaces.
KAWS’s Dissected Companion (Brown), created in 2006, is a limited edition screenprint measuring 20 by 20 inches. The artwork depicts KAWS’s iconic Companion character in a dissected form, revealing anatomical details on one half while maintaining the familiar cartoon-like exterior on the other. Rendered with shades of brown, gray, and other muted tones, this piece highlights the contrast between the playful, simplified outer appearance and the intricate, almost medical-like detail of the inner anatomy. The cross-sectional view includes organs, muscles, and other bodily structures, all stylized in KAWS's signature graphic and flat aesthetic. This split design creates a striking visual dichotomy that invites viewers to explore themes of identity, perception, and the relationship between the surface and what lies beneath. Dissected Companion (Brown) is a powerful example of KAWS’s ability to blend pop art with street culture, offering both a familiar and unsettling perspective on contemporary figures.
KAWS (USA, 1974), born Brian Donnelly, is a contemporary artist and designer celebrated for his cartoon-inspired sculptures, paintings, and collectible toys. Merging street art and pop culture, his iconic 'Companion' figures and bold graphics have reached global audiences, bridging the worlds of fine art, fashion, and commercial design.
Born Brian Donnelly but creating under a pseudonym, Kaws is an artist renowned for his acrylic paintings and sculptures that often employ repeated and distinctive graphics while reworking highly recognisable pop culture icons – Companion is one of his most notable sculptures, a large-scale, clown-like and darker take on the universally-recognised Mickey Mouse. Kaws’ early foray into art was through the form of street-graffiti; his trademark ‘x’ symbol, often applied over the hands, eyes and mouths of his characters, sprung from this phase in which Kaws would often replace public advertisements with his own artwork, a technique known as subvertising. Kaws uses a number of different materials throughout his creative processes including wood, aluminium, fiberglass and a steel pontoon inflatable raft; he has also collaborated with numerous companies and artists including Santastic! and John Mayer. (Artist website)
Graffiti art refers to drawings and writings that are painted, scratched, or scribbled on walls or other surfaces, typically in public spaces. This art form ranges from small tags to elaborate wall paintings. Graffiti has been in existence since ancient times, with examples dating back to the Roman Empire, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Egypt.