This series belongs to one of the most iconic intersections in KAWS’ practice: the fusion of his COMPANION figure with the Be@rbrick format developed by Medicom Toy. The result is a hybrid object where two already recognizable systems—the COMPANION and the Be@rbrick—are overlaid and then structurally disrupted through the “Dissected” motif.
Introduction
Each sculpture is vertically split into two distinct halves. One side retains the clean, graphic identity of the COMPANION—flat surfaces, simplified anatomy, and the signature “X” eye. The other side reveals an internal anatomy: exposed brain, skeletal structure, and organs rendered in a stylized, cartoon-like manner. This is not anatomical accuracy but constructed interiority—designed, legible, and consistent with KAWS’ visual language.
Dissected Companions Be@rbrick 1000%
The Be@rbrick format imposes its own logic. The figure is rigid, frontal, and modular, with articulated joints and standardized proportions. Unlike KAWS’ standalone sculptures, where posture and gesture carry meaning, here the body is fixed. The narrative is therefore entirely transferred to the surface, more specifically, to the act of dissection. The transparency of one ear in certain versions reinforces this idea of internal visibility. It is not simply a split figure; it is a figure designed to be read simultaneously from exterior and interior viewpoints.
These works were produced in painted cast vinyl in the 1000% Be@rbrick format, measuring approximately 72 cm (28 inches) in height. This scale is critical: it transforms what is typically a collectible toy format into a sculptural object with real presence. The series was released in 2010 in a limited edition of 500 examples per colorway, making it one of the earlier large-scale KAWS Be@rbrick editions with clearly defined scarcity compared to later open or semi-open releases.
Dissected Companion Be@rbrick 1000% (Black)
Production and distribution were handled through Medicom Toy, with releases tied to key moments in KAWS’ early expansion into the Asian market, particularly Japan and Hong Kong, where Be@rbrick culture was already deeply established.
The series exists in three primary colorways, brown, black, and grey, each producing a distinct visual hierarchy and reading of the dissected structure. The brown version is the most organic in tone. It combines muted beige, red, and earthy hues, particularly on the dissected side where organs are rendered in warmer colors. This palette reinforces the idea of the body as material, making the internal section feel more visceral and grounded. The contrast between exterior and interior is present but softened by tonal continuity. The black version is the most visually aggressive. The exterior half is rendered in deep black, while the dissected half introduces high-contrast colors—bright green, pink, and yellow, particularly in the brain and eye. This creates a sharp division between surface and interior. The “X” eye in yellow further intensifies the graphic impact. In this version, the work reads less as anatomy and more as signal, a high-contrast, almost pop-coded dissection.
Dissected Companion Be@rbrick 1000% (Grey)
The grey version is the most restrained and sculptural. The palette is largely monochromatic, with subtle tonal variations used to define internal structures. The absence of strong color contrast reduces the shock of dissection, shifting the focus toward form and continuity. The figure appears more unified, almost as if the interior and exterior belong to the same material system. Across all three, the structure is identical, but the perception of the dissection changes: the brown emphasizes materiality, the black emphasizes contrast and visibility, and the grey emphasizes form and cohesion.
The “Dissected” concept is one of KAWS’ earliest and most important visual strategies. It originates in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when he began reworking familiar cartoon characters by exposing their internal structures. This approach can be traced back to influences such as medical illustration, animation model sheets, and the tradition of cutaway diagrams. In the COMPANION, this motif takes on a specific function. The figure is already a constructed identity—derived from appropriation and recombination. By splitting it open, KAWS makes that construction visible. The interior is not hidden truth; it is another layer of design.
Dissected Companion Be@rbrick 1000% (Brown)
In the Be@rbrick format, this logic becomes even more explicit. The figure is already a template—standardized, repeatable, and industrial. The dissection does not reveal individuality; it reveals the absence of it. The inside is as designed as the outside. The vertical split is also important. It does not fragment the figure into multiple parts; it forces the viewer to read both states simultaneously. There is no before and after—only coexistence between surface and interior.
These 1000% Be@rbrick editions occupy a specific and well-defined segment of the KAWS market. They are larger, earlier, and more limited than later Be@rbrick collaborations, which contributes to their continued desirability. The edition size of approximately 500 per colorway provides a balance between availability and scarcity. They are not rare in absolute terms, but they are significantly less common than later open or mass-produced works. These works are considered foundational within KAWS collecting, particularly for those focusing on the early development of the Dissected language.
The Dissected Companion Be@rbrick 1000% encapsulates a key moment where KAWS’ practice is fully aligned with systems of reproduction, collaboration, and hybrid identity. Unlike later sculptures that emphasize emotion or narrative, this work is analytical. It is about structure, how a figure is built, how it is read, and how it can be simultaneously deconstructed and preserved. In this sense, it is one of the clearest statements of KAWS’ methodology: not to reveal what is inside, but to show that inside and outside are equally constructed.
Dissected Companions Be@rbrick 400%
In parallel with the 1000% sculptures, KAWS released a 400% version of the Dissected Companion Be@rbrick in 2010, also in brown, black, and grey colorways. The 400% format measures approximately 27 cm (11 inches) in height, compared to roughly 72 cm for the 1000% version. Formally, the 400% figures replicate the exact same composition, including the vertical dissection, internal anatomy, and color distribution. The proportions, graphic elements, and structural logic are identical. However, the change in scale significantly alters the way the work is perceived.
At 1000%, the object operates as a sculpture. The internal anatomy reads with clarity, the vertical split has physical weight, and the figure commands space. At 400%, the work shifts closer to the logic of the collectible. The dissection remains legible, but the anatomical details become more graphic than spatial. The object is handled differently, less as a freestanding sculpture and more as part of a display system. Both formats were released in limited edition of 500 but they occupy different tiers within KAWS’ market. The 1000% versions are considered the primary works within this series. Their scale, presence, and relative scarcity position them closer to sculpture, and they are typically the focus of advanced collectors. The 400% versions, while still limited, are more accessible in both price and display. They appeal to a broader collector base and often function as entry points into the Dissected series. Despite this, they are not secondary in design—they are exact reductions, maintaining full fidelity to the original concept. What distinguishes them is not the image, but the experience of scale: one is read at a distance as an object in space, the other at proximity as an articulated surface.
Dissected Companions: Bearbrick 1000%
Dissected Companion: Bearbrick 1000% (Brown, Black, Grey)
The complete set of three works
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2010
Dimensions: 72x36x25 cm (28-1/4 x 14 x 10 inches)
Edition: 500, unnumbered
Co-produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo and OriginalFake, Tokyo
Stamped signature and manufacturer’s mark to underside
‘OriginalFake KAWS’
Auction Results
Ravenel Taipei: 2 December 2018
Estimated: TWD 220,000 – 360,000
TWD 576,000 / USD 18,685
KAWS (Brian Donnelly, American, 1974)
Dissected Companion: Bearbrick 1000% (Brown, Black, Grey) (a set of 3), 2010
Mixed media, vinyl
Edition of 500
Trademark KAWS.. 08 OriginalFake; KAWS.. OriginalFake
Dissected Companions: Bearbrick 400%
Dissected Companion: Bearbrick 400% (Brown, Black, Grey)
The complete set of three works
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2009
Dimensions: 27x13x10 cm (10-3/4 x 5 -1/4 x 3-3/4 inches)
Edition: 500, unnumbered
Co-produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo and OriginalFake, Tokyo
Stamped signature and manufacturer’s mark to underside
‘OriginalFake KAWS’
Dissected Companion Be@rbrick 1000% (Grey)
Dissected Companion Be@rbrick 1000% (Grey)
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2010
Dimensions: 72x36x25 cm (28-1/4 x 14 x 10 inches)
Edition: 500, unnumbered
Co-produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo and OriginalFake, Tokyo
Stamped signature and manufacturer’s mark to underside
‘OriginalFake KAWS’
Auction Results
Heritage Auctions: 12 December 2025
USD 2,250
KAWS X BE@RBRICK
Dissected Companion (Grey) 1000%, 2008
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped on underside of feet
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo
LA Modern: 15 September 2025
Estimated: USD 1,000 – 1,500
USD 1,905
KAWS (Brian Donnelly, b.1974)
Dissected Companion Be@rbrick 1000% (Gray), 2010
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped signature and manufacturer’s mark to underside ‘OriginalFake KAWS’
This work is from the edition of unknown size
Co-produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo and OriginalFake, Tokyo
Sold with original packaging
Dissected Companion Be@rbrick 1000% (Black)
Dissected Companion Be@rbrick 1000% (Black)
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2010
Dimensions: 72x36x25 cm (28-1/4 x 14 x 10 inches)
Edition: 500, unnumbered
Co-produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo and OriginalFake, Tokyo
Stamped signature and manufacturer’s mark to underside
‘OriginalFake KAWS’
Auction Results
Heritage Auctions: 12 December 2025
USD 2,750
KAWS X BE@RBRICK
Dissected Companion 1000% (Black), 2008
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped on underside of foot
Produced by Medicom Toy and OriginalFake, Tokyo
LA Modern: 18 March 2025
Estimated: USD 3,000 – 5,000
USD 3,302
KAWS (Brian Donnelly, b.1974)
Be@rbrick Dissected Companion (Black) 1000%, 2010
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped signature and manufacturer’s mark to underside ‘KAWS..OriginalFake’
This work is from the edition of unknown size
Produced by Medicom Toy and OriginalFake, Tokyo
Dissected Companion Be@rbrick 1000% (Brown)
Dissected Companion Be@rbrick 1000% (Black)
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2010
Dimensions: 72x36x25 cm (28-1/4 x 14 x 10 inches)
Edition: 500, unnumbered
Co-produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo and OriginalFake, Tokyo
Stamped signature and manufacturer’s mark to underside
‘OriginalFake KAWS’
Auction Results
Heritage Auctions: 17 March 2026
USD 3,250
KAWS X BE@RBRICK
Dissected Companion 1000%, 2008
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped on underside of right foot
Produced by Medicom Toy and OriginalFake, Tokyo
Heritage Auctions: 7 January 2026
USD 2,750
KAWS X BE@RBRICK
Dissected Companion 1000% (Brown), 2008
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped on underside of feet
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo
Heritage Auctions: 12 December 2025
USD 3,000
KAWS X BE@RBRICK
Dissected Companion 1000% (Brown), 2008
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped on underside of feet
Produced by Medicom Toy and OriginalFake, Tokyo