KAWS Holiday Singapore

The “Holiday Singapore” sculpture by KAWS was created in 2021. It was produced in a limited edition of 500 pieces in collaboration with Medicom Toy, and is still supplied in its original transparent plastic packaging (rather than cardboard and polystyrene as is often the case). Medicom Toy took care of manufacturing the artworks, as well as marketing and selling them worldwide. As is often the case, all 500 pieces were sold out within minutes. As usual it is much better not to purchase these sculptures at auctions or with online galleries. There are too many counterfakes on the market.

It depicts a reclining Companion character, an emblematic figurine from KAWS's artistic production, with a childlike version of the Companion lying on top of him. The work is inspired by KAWS's own 13m-long temporary installation, which was on the platform of Singapore's Marina Bay shopping complex in 2018.The latter was instrumental in raising the artist's profile in Southeast Asia.The original sculpture and the figurine obviously represent the ties that bind parents to their children.

The figurine is available in black, grey and brown and measures 26.7X8X6.4 cm. All three versions have the same dimensions.

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 Holiday Singapore figurines were launched in November 2021.