KAWS collaborated with Todd James in 2006 to produce The Twins, a vinyl figure set that combines graphic precision with an unexpected and deliberately stylized approach to femininity. The Twins occupies a singular position within KAWS’ early body of editioned sculptures. Produced in collaboration with Medicom Toy and distributed through KAWSONE, the work marks one of the artist’s most explicit departures from his established visual repertoire.
At a moment when KAWS’ practice was largely defined by male-coded figures such as Companion and Chum, The Twins introduces a dual female presence—expanding both the formal vocabulary and conceptual scope of his sculptural language.
Introduction
The work consists of two stylized female figures standing side by side, conceived as a unified pair rather than independent objects. Their proportions are deliberately exaggerated, elongated limbs, rounded forms, and simplified anatomical features, yet their presence remains precise and controlled.
The key tension lies in their contrast. One figure bears the signature KAWS intervention: X-shaped eyes and a skull-like head structure, directly linking it to the artist’s established iconography. The other figure appears more “human,” retaining open eyes and softer facial features. Together, they operate as a split image: two versions of the same identity, differentiated but inseparable. The composition is symmetrical but not identical. Subtle variations in posture, facial treatment, and surface create a dialogue between the two forms. The result is not duplication, but duality.
Executed in painted cast vinyl, The Twins reflects the technical precision characteristic of KAWS’ early collaborations with Medicom Toy. The surfaces are smooth, the colors flat and controlled, reinforcing the graphic clarity of the forms. The work was released in three principal versions: Brown (often interchangeably referred to as Grey in market contexts), Pink, and a later Glitter variant. The packaging, featuring line drawings of the figures, extends the visual language of the work, emphasizing its identity as a complete, designed object rather than a standalone sculpture.
The Twins emerges at a pivotal moment in KAWS’ trajectory, when his practice was transitioning from street-based interventions toward a more structured edition model.
The influence of Todd James is particularly evident here. The figures’ stylization, proportions, and playful irreverence reflect a dialogue between James’ cartoon-based visual language and KAWS’ own graphic interventions. This collaboration produces a work that feels distinct within KAWS’ oeuvre. It is less about the repetition of a single icon and more about the construction of a relationship between forms.
At its core, The Twins is structured around duality. The pairing suggests a split identity—two states of the same figure, coexisting within a single composition. The contrast between the skull-headed figure and the more human counterpart can be read as a tension between exterior and interior, mask and self, or constructed persona and underlying identity. Unlike later KAWS works that emphasize isolation or introspection, The Twins operates through comparison. Meaning emerges not from a single figure, but from the space between the two.
The work also introduces a subtle shift in tone. There is a degree of humor, even lightness, in the exaggerated forms and stylized femininity—but it remains controlled, never slipping into caricature.
Though less ubiquitous than Companion-based editions, The Twins has become a highly regarded early work among collectors, valued for its rarity and its distinct position within KAWS’ development. Some sources allude to the Glitter variant only being produced in 100 examples, it clearly commands particular attention due to its unique surface treatment. Market terminology occasionally fluctuates between “Brown” and “Grey” for the darker version; visually, however, they correspond to the same palette.
More broadly, The Twins represents a moment of expansion within KAWS’ practice—demonstrating his ability to move beyond a singular character and explore more complex relational structures. Here, the figure is no longer alone. It is doubled: divided, mirrored, and held in tension.
THE TWINS, 2026
THE TWINS (Brown/Glitter, Pink)
The complete set of three works
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2006
Dimensions: 20x8x5 cm (8x3x2 inches)
Edition: 500, unnumbered
Produced by Medicom Toy and Reas International, Tokyo
Each stamped ‘MEDICOM TOY 2006 CHINA’ on the underside
One stamped copyright ‘KAWS..06’ on the underside
The other stamped copyright ‘REAS’ on the underside
THE TWINS (Pink), 2006
THE TWINS (Pink)
Set of 2
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2006
Dimensions: 20x8x5 cm (8x3x2 inches)
Edition: 500, unnumbered
Produced by Medicom Toy and Reas International, Tokyo
Each stamped ‘MEDICOM TOY 2006 CHINA’ on the underside
One stamped copyright ‘KAWS..06’ on the underside
The other stamped copyright ‘REAS’ on the underside
Auction Results
Heritage Auctions: 29 November 2022
USD 4,000
KAWS X Todd James
The Twins (Pink) (set of 2), 2006
Painted cast vinyl
Edition of 500
Each stamped to the underside of the feet
Produced by Medicom Toy and Reas International, Tokyo
THE TWINS (Brown), 2006
THE TWINS (Brown)
Set of 2
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2006
Dimensions: 20x8x5 cm (8x3x2 inches)
Edition: 500, unnumbered
Produced by Medicom Toy and Reas International, Tokyo
Each stamped ‘MEDICOM TOY 2006 CHINA’ on the underside
One stamped copyright ‘KAWS..06’ on the underside
The other stamped copyright ‘REAS’ on the underside
THE TWINS (Glitter), 2006
THE TWINS (Glitter)
Set of 2
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2006
Dimensions: 20x8x5 cm (8x3x2 inches)
Edition: 500, unnumbered
Produced by Medicom Toy and Reas International, Tokyo
Each stamped ‘MEDICOM TOY 2006 CHINA’ on the underside
One stamped copyright ‘KAWS..06’ on the underside
The other stamped copyright ‘REAS’ on the underside
Auction Results
Heritage Auctions: 29 November 2022
USD 6,250
KAWS X Todd James
The Twins (Glitter) (set of 2), 2006
Cast vinyl
Edition of 500
Each stamped to the underside of the feet
Produced by Medicom Toy and Reas International, Tokyo