KAWS Separated
Kaws Separated was released in February 2021 by the Brooklyn Museum as part of the temporary exhibition What Party. The figurine is available in three versions: brown, black and grey. It is an "open edition", estimated, as is often the case, at 500 copies in a limited series. The sculptures are manufactured and marketed in collaboration with AllRightReserved.
The figurine is a remake of a large-scale sculpture featuring a Companion hiding his face in his hands to conceal his grief. Separated refers to emotional breakdowns, divorces and separations within couples. It certainly refers to the artist's private life. The sculpture measures 20x16x18 cm.
It is currently selling for around €1,000. It's not one of the most sought-after Kaws art toys, but its value is rising steadily every year. As is often the case, the works were sold in polystyrene packaging enclosed in a rigid cardboard box with embossing. Three versions of the packaging were produced, one for each colour of the figurine. We strongly recommend not to buy it at auctions or with online galleries, due to the huge number of fakes 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 Separated figurine was released in February 2021. It is now one of the artist's emblematic figures.
