KAWS Family Grey
Released on Kaws One on Valentine's Day 2022, Kaws Family Grey is the third version of the Family pack, following Brown, and Black (released in September 2021).
Kaws Family Grey features a pink adult BFF, a pink child Chum, and a pink baby Chum, as well as a gray adult and child Companion. The five caracters makes the family.
Published by Medicom Toys in a limited series of 500 units, the sculptures are made of vinyl material, and come in sizes of 8 cm, 20 cm, 23 cm, 33 cm and 35 cm. These dimensions are identical to those of the first two versions of the Family pack (the brown and the black).
Containing five figures at a time, and in multiple sizes, the Family packs have quickly become iconic for collectors of Kaws artwork. They also include Companion, Chum and BFF, the artist's most emblematic characters. Their price is rising steadily, now reaching between €2,500 and €3,000. A unique packaging with a polystyrene receptacle and a cardboard box contains all five art toys in the pack.
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 figures in the Kaws Family Grey pack were released in February 2022, six months after the first two versions, Black and Brown. They are now among the artist's iconic figures.