The Four Foot Companion occupies a pivotal position in KAWS’ sculptural trajectory, marking the transition from collectible-scale objects to works that assert a true physical presence. Released in 2007 in an edition of 100 per colorway, this series represents one of the earliest large-format vinyl manifestations of the Companion—an inflection point where the character evolves from toy into sculpture.

Introduction

Standing at approximately four feet tall, the figure adopts a frontal, upright stance—symmetrical, stable, and almost confrontational in its stillness. The familiar anatomy is preserved: rounded ears, simplified limbs, oversized gloved hands, and the iconic crossed-out eyes.

What distinguishes this version is its scale and restraint. Unlike later Companions engaged in expressive gestures, the Four Foot Companion stands neutral, almost inert. This neutrality is deceptive. The blank posture, combined with the “X” eyes, produces a subtle tension between presence and absence—between figure and void. The three colorways,black, brown, and grey, each recalibrate the reading. The black version, particularly with its yellow “X” eyes, feels graphic and immediate; the brown introduces a reference to early cartoon aesthetics, especially Mickey Mouse; the grey, more muted, leans toward abstraction and sculptural purity.

Four Foot Companion (Black)

Executed in painted cast vinyl, the work retains the industrial logic central to KAWS’ practice. However, at this scale, the material takes on a different dimension. The smooth, matte surface emphasizes volume and proportion, allowing the figure to function less as a product and more as an object in space. The edition size—100 per colorway—is notably restrained relative to later open or larger editions, reinforcing the importance of this series within KAWS’ early sculptural development.

Four Foot Companion (Brown)

Released in 2007, the Four Foot Companion emerges at a moment when KAWS is consolidating his visual language while expanding his ambition. Having established the Companion as a recognizable icon through smaller editions and collaborations, this work tests its capacity to operate at a more monumental, almost architectural scale. This period also precedes the artist’s major institutional recognition, positioning the work as both a culmination of his early practice and a precursor to later large-scale public sculptures.

Four Foot Companion (Grey)

The power of the Four Foot Companion lies in its restraint. Stripped of narrative or gesture, the figure becomes a kind of contemporary idol—simultaneously familiar and inaccessible. The crossed-out eyes, a defining feature of KAWS’ vocabulary, function here less as a stylistic marker and more as a conceptual device. They negate expression, deny connection, and transform the character into an object of projection. The viewer is left to supply meaning, emotion, or narrative. At this scale, the Companion also begins to shift from character to archetype. It is no longer simply a remix of cartoon culture—it becomes a symbol of it, distilled and immobilized.

The Four Foot Companion is widely regarded as one of the most important early large-scale editions in KAWS’ oeuvre. Its relatively limited production, combined with its historical significance, has ensured strong and consistent demand on the secondary market.

“When I was younger …
There was a lot of ‘this is fine art’ or ‘this is not fine art’;
‘this is commercial’, ‘this is high art’.
In my mind I thought, art’s purpose is to communicate and reach people. Whichever outlet that’s being done through is the right one.”

More importantly, the work establishes a template that KAWS will continue to develop: the translation of a graphic, reproducible character into increasingly ambitious sculptural formats. From gallery installations to monumental public works, this piece marks the moment where scale becomes integral to meaning. In retrospect, the Four Foot Companion is less a variation than a declaration—the point at which KAWS’ figures definitively step into space.

4 FT COMPANIONS (Black/Brown/Grey), 2007

4 FT COMPANIONS (Black/Brown/Grey)

Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2007
Dimensions: 124x56x30 cm (49x22x12 inches)
Edition: 100, unnumbered
Co-produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo and OriginalFake, Tokyo

Impressed signature, date and manufacturer’s mark to underside
‘© KAWS..07 Medicom Toy 2007 Made in China’

Four Foot Companion (Black)

Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2007
Dimensions: 124x56x30 cm (49x22x12 inches)
Edition: 100, unnumbered
Co-produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo and OriginalFake, Tokyo

Impressed signature, date and manufacturer’s mark to underside
‘© KAWS..07 Medicom Toy 2007 Made in China’

KAWS (b. 1974)
4FT Companion (Black), 2007
Fiber-reinforced plastic
Edition of 100
Stamped to the underside of the feet

Ravenel Taipei: 4 December 2021
Estimated: TWD 1,500,000 – 2,200,000
TWD 1,680,000 / USD 60,606

KAWS (Brian Donnelly) (American, 1974)
Four Foot Companion (Black), 2007
Painted cast vinyl, edition of 100
Copyright © KAWS.. 07 on the bottom of the right foot
Trademark MEDICOM TOY 2007 MADE IN CHINA on the bottom of the left foot
With a security laser tag

Four Foot Companion (Brown)

Four Foot Companion (Brown)

Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2007
Dimensions: 124x56x30 cm (49x22x12 inches)
Edition: 100, unnumbered
Co-produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo and OriginalFake, Tokyo

Impressed signature, date and manufacturer’s mark to underside
‘© KAWS..07 Medicom Toy 2007 Made in China’

SBI Art Auction: 27 January 2024
Estimated: JPY 4,500,000 – 7,500,000
JPY 5,750,000 / USD 38,800

KAWS
Four Foot Companion (Brown), 2007
Vinyl
Incised “©KAWS..07” on the underside of the left foot
Incised “MEDICOM TOY and 2007” on the underside of the right foot

Sotheby’s New-York: 15 December 2022
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 50,400

KAWS (b. 1974)
4FT Companion (Brown), 2007
Fiber-reinforced plastic multiple, accompanied by its original box
Incised ©KAWS..07 and MEDICOM TOY 2007 MADE IN CHINA (on the underside)
Executed in 2007; this example is from an unnumbered edition of 100

Four Foot Companion (Grey)

Four Foot Companion (Grey)

Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2007
Dimensions: 50 (H) x 22 (W) x 14 (D) inches (127 x 56 x 37.5 cm)
Edition: 100, unnumbered
Produced by: MEDICOM TOY, Tokyo

Impressed signature, date and manufacturer’s mark to underside ‘© KAWS..09 Medicom Toy 2009 Made in China’.

Sotheby’s New-York: 19 July 2023
Estimated: USD 50,000 – 70,000
USD 48,260

KAWS (b. 1974)
4FT COMPANION (Grey), 2007
Vinyl, paint
Incised ©KAWS..07 and MEDICOM TOY 2007 MADE IN CHINA (on the underside)
This example is from an unnumbered edition of 100

China Guardian Hong-Kong: 6 April 2023
Estimated: HKD 160,000 – 250,000
HKD 660,000 / USD 85,800