KAWS Good Intentions
Crafted by Karimoku's master carpenters, the KAWS Good Intentions figurine is a scaled-down iteration of a colossal wooden sculpture that debuted at KAWS's Yorkshire Park (England) show in 2016.
Both dark and light shades of wood appear on the sculpture, which shows a full-sized standing Companion figure sheltering a childlike companion peering from behind his right leg. This little companion offers a look of apprehension or curiosity, depending on how you choose to view the work.
The figurine is a limited edition of 100 (plus 20 AP), its special feature being that it is hand-signed and numbered on the leg. This makes it one of Kaws' most sought-after works, and one of the most expensive figurines on the market. It's one of the only ones to be signed and numbered by the street artist.
Its dimensions are 40x20x20 cm. Originally sold on kawsone.com for $15,000, it is now often offered by galleries for over $50,000. Absolutely avoid buying them at auctions, or online galleries, even the most known ones, there are too many counterfakes on the market.
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 Good Intentions figurines were released in August 2021. Despite their high price, they are now amongst the artist's most iconic figures.
