Released in 2010, the KAWS x Tweety figure marks one of Brian Donnelly’s most elegant appropriations of American pop iconography. Standing approximately 9¼ inches tall, the sculpture translates the unmistakable silhouette of Tweety Bird into KAWS’s visual language, preserving the character’s oversized head, rounded forms, and childlike proportions while subtly altering its emotional register.
Introduction
The figure exists in two distinct colorways. The yellow version remains faithful to the original Looney Tunes palette, with bright tones, white facial accents, and orange feet, while the black edition reduces the character to a monochrome, almost sculptural presence. In both, the face is reconfigured with KAWS’s signature X-eyes, and the gloved hands are raised to the mouth, creating a gesture that feels at once shy, anxious, and introspective.
Produced in painted cast vinyl, the work reflects the artist’s long-standing collaboration with Japanese manufacturing and distribution networks, notably through OriginalFake and Medicom Toy. The surface is smooth, industrial, and highly controlled, emphasizing the object’s dual identity as both collectible design and contemporary sculpture.
Each colorway was issued in a limited edition of 500, reinforcing KAWS’s model of controlled scarcity within the realm of mass-produced objects. Originally released on September 25, 2010, at a retail price of $200, the figure sold out immediately, consistent with the artist’s growing market momentum at the time.
What distinguishes this work is not simply the transformation of a beloved cartoon figure, but the psychological shift it introduces. Tweety, historically mischievous and playful, becomes here subdued, almost vulnerable. The covered mouth suggests silence or hesitation, while the crossed-out eyes remove the character from the realm of animation and place it firmly within KAWS’s recurring meditation on identity, emotion, and detachment.
This gesture aligns with KAWS’s broader practice of “interrupting” familiar imagery. By altering minimal but decisive features, he transforms mass-cultural symbols into reflective objects, inviting viewers to reconsider their emotional relationship to these icons.
The collaboration with Warner Bros. situates the figure within a lineage of licensed projects that KAWS elevated beyond merchandising into the territory of collectible art. Coming at a time when OriginalFake was at the height of its cultural influence, the release exemplifies the convergence of street culture, Japanese production excellence, and Western pop heritage. Distribution through a limited network of retailers and galleries ensured both accessibility and exclusivity, a balance that became central to KAWS’s market strategy.
Today, the KAWS x Tweety figure stands as one of the most refined examples of the artist’s licensed works. It captures a moment when KAWS was solidifying his position between design, street culture, and the contemporary art market. Its appeal lies precisely in this hybridity: it resonates equally with collectors of animation memorabilia, design objects, and contemporary sculpture. Both colorways remain highly sought after on the secondary market, with the black version often perceived as the more “sculptural” and the yellow as the more “iconic.” More broadly, the work contributes to KAWS’s enduring project: transforming the language of global pop culture into a universal, emotionally charged visual system—one that feels at once familiar, distant, and quietly disarming.
TWEETY, 2010
TWEETY (Black/Yellow)
The complete set of two works
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2010
Dimensions: 37x21x15 cm (14-1/2 x 8 x 6 inches)
Edition: 500, unnumbered
Fabricated by Medicom Toy, Japan
With the artist’s name, date and fabricator printed on the underside
Auction Results
Sotheby’s London: 6 October 2021
Estimated: GBP 1,200 – 1,800
GBP 2,772 / USD 3,735
KAWS (b. 1974)
Tweety (Black; and Yellow) (Two Works), 2010
Two painted vinyl multiples
Each with the artist’s name, date and fabricator printed on the underside
From the edition of 500
Fabricated by Medicom Toy, Japan
Each contained in the original packaging
TWEETY (Black), 2010
TWEETY (Black)
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2010
Dimensions: 37x21x15 cm (14-1/2 x 8 x 6 inches)
Edition: 500, unnumbered
Fabricated by Medicom Toy, Japan
With the artist’s name, date and fabricator printed on the underside
Auction Results
Heritage Auctions: 4 February 2026
USD 1,000
KAWS (b. 1974)
Tweety (Black), 2010
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped on underside of feet
Produced by Medicom and OriginalFake, Tokyo
TWEETY (Yellow), 2010
TWEETY (Yellow)
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2010
Dimensions: 37x21x15 cm (14-1/2 x 8 x 6 inches)
Edition: 500, unnumbered
Fabricated by Medicom Toy, Japan
With the artist’s name, date and fabricator printed on the underside
Auction Results
Heritage Auctions: 12 December 2025
USD 1,875
KAWS (b. 1974)
Tweety, 2010
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped on underside of feet
Produced by Medicom and OriginalFake, Tokyo