Supermodel #1
Medium: Screenprint in colors on Rives BFK wove paper
Year: 1999
Sheet: 28 1/2 x 21 inches (72.3 x 53.5 cm)
Edition: 50
Artist’s Proofs: 9 AP
Color’s Proofs: 3 CP
Publisher: Kawsone, New-York
Supermodel #1 depicts an image of a glamorous model, originally from a Moschino advertisement, rendered in a white and brown duotone. KAWS has appropriated the model’s face by adding his distinct graphic features, transforming her head into a skull with crossbones, reminiscent of his “Companion” character. The image in the related print Supermodel #2 shows a different model in a similar style, with crossed-out eyes and an open mouth.
Supermodel #1 is part of KAWS’s “Models” collection, which fuses themes of consumerism, pop culture, and media saturation. By defacing and embellishing commercial images of supermodels, KAWS challenges the traditional boundary between high art and commercial design. The iconic skull and crossbones motif, understood across cultures, serves as a universal symbol that subverts the idealized and often artificial nature of advertising imagery, imbuing it with a sense of mortality or “exhaustion and death,” a recurring theme in his work.
Supermodel #1 was released in 1999, a pivotal year for KAWS, as it also saw the creation of his first “Companion” toy figure with the Japanese brand Bounty Hunter. This era marked KAWS’ transition from a street artist known for altering New York City billboards to a multi-faceted artist exploring product design and fine art prints.
Supermodel #1 is considered one of KAWS’ most sought-after early prints and a key example of his artistic vocabulary. It established his iconic graphic motifs and the practice of appropriating pop culture imagery, a method that draws comparisons to Pop artists like Andy Warhol. The success of this print series contributed significantly to his rising recognition, blurring distinctions between commercial products and fine art, and paving the way for his global legacy of large-scale sculptures, international exhibitions, and extensive brand collaborations.
Auction Results
Phillips Hong-Kong: 29 November 2021
Estimated: HKD 100,000 – 200,000
HKD 252,000 / USD 32,255
KAWS
UNTITLED, 1999
Silkscreen on paper
Signed, numbered and dated ‘KAWS.. 40/50 99’ lower edge
This work is number 40 from an edition of 50 plus 9 artist’s proofs
Sotheby’s New-York: 16 September 2021
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 37,800
KAWS (b.1974)
Supermodel #1, 1999
Screenprint in colors on Rives BFK wove paper
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 30/50
Ravenel Taiwan: 2 June 2019
Estimated: TWD 420,000 – 650,000
TWD 504,000 / USD 15,949
KAWS (Brian Donnelly) (American, 1974)
Supermodel #1, 1999
Screenprint
Signed KAWS, dated 1999 and numbered 40/50 on the bottom
Phillips London: 24 January 2019
Estimated: GBP 5,000 – 7,000
GBP 13,750 / USD 17,915
KAWS
Untitled (Supermodel #1), 1999
Screenprint in colors, on BFK Rives paper
Signed, dated and numbered ‘CP 1/3’ in pencil
A color proof aside from the edition of 50
Chiswick Auctions: 27 March 2018
Estimated: GBP 10,000 – 12,000
GBP 10,000 / USD 14,160
KAWS (AMERICAN b.1974)
SUPERMODEL #1,1999
Screenprint
Signed, dated and numbered from an edition of 50 in pencil