KAWS Changbai Mountain
In January 2022, Brian Donnelly travels to China to present the new KAWS Holiday Changbai Mountain Collection at the KAWS HOLIDAY Changbai Mountain temporary exhibition, which opened to the public between January 7 and 16, 2022 at the Changbaishan Luneng Resort.
After presenting the KAWS x The North Face collaboration “XX KAWS”, the American artist unveils the rest of the exhibition program, including a giant sculpture to be displayed on the summit of the Changbai massif. It depicts one of his iconic Companion characters seated, accompanied by a miniature version of himself on his lap, his child. A new set of three small Companions sculptures is also being released for the occasion, in “Brown”, “Snow White” and “Black”. Other goodies include a snow globe and a hand warmer, as well as hoodies in grey and navy blue.
They are currently on sale in galleries at prices ranging from €1,000 to €1,500. Each version - Brown, White and Black - comes with its own packaging. As usual it is much better not to purchase them at auctions or online galleries, there are too many couterfakes (even in the best renown ones).
New York street artist Kaws emerged from the graffiti scene in the 1990s. A young artist influenced by pop art galleries, he began his career as a graffiti artist, penciling advertising posters for major brands on the streets of New York. Since the 2000s, he has produced some 50 small sculptures, featuring his most significant large-scale works of art (often shown in temporary exhibitions), and of course his most popular characters (Companion, Chum, BFF, Accomplice etc.). Particularly popular with collectors and contemporary art enthusiasts, these figurines have the advantage of being a very reasonably priced way to start a collection and enter the artist's world. They are generally published in limited editions of 500 copies (according to the artist), and they are edited in collaboration with a manufacturer who often also handles marketing, sales and distribution worldwide. Mostly made of vinyl material, these works of art resist ageing very well, but you should avoid exposing them to direct sunlight for long periods. It might cause a slight discoloration of the sculpture. Each version of the figurine, or art toy, has its own specially designed packaging, comprising a polystyrene receptacle with protective film, and a cardboard box with embossing. You have to keep the original packaging carefully as it is one of the most important authentication features of these sculptures.The KAWS Holiday Changbai Mountain figurines were launched in January 2022.