“COMPANION is a figure in the world now, and it’s not all great out there. Even though I use a comic language, my figures are not always reflecting the idealistic cartoon view that I grew up on…COMPANION is more real in dealing with contemporary human circumstances. I think when I’m making work it also often mirrors what’s going on with me at that time.”
Introduction
Captured mid stride with his arms outstretched and fingers reaching out in an eerie pose, FINAL DAYS is reminiscent of the iconic stance of Frankenstein’s monster, mashed with the contrastingly endearing portrayal of cartoon characters’ gloves, shorts and shoes. Each eye of the figure is marked with the artist’s signature X and his skull is adorned with crossbones, establishing the work as a hallmark within the artist’s oeuvre. FINAL DAYS is a hybrid of the cartoon Smurf and KAWS’s signature COMPANION figure, posed mid-stride in a stance reminiscent of Frankenstein in its 1931 film adaptation. This amalgamation of pop culture references, which range from children’s cartoons to classic horror, is a motif found throughout the artist’s oeuvre.
Installation view of a larger edition of FINAL DAYS at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 2016
In a sharp divergence to the art historical canon of mythological and biblical depictions rendered in the classical medium of sculpture, FINAL DAYS creates a marked contrast between its traditional wooden medium and its empathically contemporary appearance. From ancient stone carvings to the visionary sculptures of Renaissance artist Michelangelo, or more recently, Auguste Rodin, sculpture has been explored by artists for centuries as a medium in which to artistically render physical forms.
“I was thinking of the relationship I’ve had to wood toys growing up and the warmth and feeling they have when you hold them in your hand or place them on a shelf or table and stare at them, I wanted to expand on that, to create a wooden sculpture that makes you feel small but at the same time I want the viewer to feel like they should somehow help or console the work, despite its towering size.”
Truly contemporary in its formation, FINAL DAYS is made from Afromosia hardwood sourced in Africa with the craftsmanship of master craftspeople in Europe. The exposed natural grains of the wood form exquisite swirling striations along the smooth polished surface, with each strip of wood punctiliously fabricated to align with the contours of the figure’s body.
The warm grains of Afromosia wood and the rounded curves of the cartoonish silhouette are reminiscent of children’s toys, evoking a tactile memory of childhood. This nostalgic familiarity is disrupted by the sculpture’s colossal scale. There is a humorous absurdity in its title, which alludes to apocalyptic imagery, despite the work’s playful execution. By juxtaposing qualities in materiality, imagery and scale, the artist effectively blurs the traditional distinctions between high art and street culture. The tradition of the first-generation pop artists, such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, KAWS utilizes iconic pop culture imagery and its universal appeal to challenge and deconstruct cultural boundaries. Following his studies in illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York, KAWS worked as a freelance illustrator for Disney’s 101 Dalmatians, and the animated series Daria and Dong. Perhaps this experience informed the design of his signature COMPANION figure, whose design is based on Mickey Mouse.
Installation view of Kaws: Where the End Starts, Yuz Museum, Shanghai, October 2016 – July 2017.
Image: © Courtesy of YUZ Museum / Artwork: © KAWS 2020
The present work epitomizes the artist’s ability to reimagine nostalgic symbols of childhood and popular culture for the contemporary audience, whose relationship with mass media is particularly potent. KAWS first began experimenting with wood in 2005 when he partnered with Karimoku, a Japanese furniture company, to produce his iconic COMPANION in wood.
“I was thinking of the relationship I’ve had to wood toys growing up, and the warmth and feeling they have when you hold them in your hand. I wanted to expand on that, to create a wooden sculpture that made you feel smart but at the same time I want the viewer to feel like they should somehow help or console the work, despite its towering gaze.”
The smooth, varnished surface of FINAL DAYS consists of different planks of wood, joined in a technique evocative of marquetry. In adopting a technique which traditionally highlights technical artistry for the surface of a franchised cartoon character, FINAL DAYS unapologetically confronts the question of mass production and craftsmanship, recontextualizing the present-day artistic production within a larger cultural debate.
The implications of the sculpture’s title are unclear: are these the final days for a character from our youth, brought back to life to haunt us during adulthood? Or are these the final days before the present is superseded by the future, just as the present pushed the cartoons from the past into irrelevancy? Through its seeming apocalyptic title, enucleated skull, and Frankensteinian posture, FINAL DAYS transmits an ambivalent message utilizing characters that are typically associated with humor and nostalgia.
1. Final Days (Bronze)
2. Final Days (Wood)
3. Final Days (Wood)
Final Days (Bronze)
FINAL DAYS
Medium: Bronze
Year: 2017
Dimensions: 9 1/2 x 8 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches (24.1 x 21.6 x 16.5 cm)
Edition: 25
Artist’s Proofs: 5 AP
Incised with the artist’s signature, numbered and dated on the underside
Auction Results
Phillips New-York: 24 June 2025
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 27,940
FINAL DAYS, 2017
Bronze multiple
(there were also 5 artist’s proofs)
SBI Art Auction: 9 March 2024
Estimated: JPY 5,000,000 – 8,000,000
JPY 7,705,000 / USD 52,117
KAWS
Final Days, 2017
Bronze
Incised signature and date on the bottom of the left foot, Incised number on the bottom of the right foot
From the edition of 25
This work is accompanied by an original wooden box
Final Days, 2018
SBI Art Auction: 20 June 2020
Estimated: JPY 8,000,000 – 10,000,000
JPY 10,350,000 / USD 96,970
KAWS
Final Days, 2018
Bronze
Incised signature, date and number on the bottom of foot
From the edition of 25
Final Days, 2017
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 7 October 2019
Estimated: HKD 120,000 – 220,000
HKD 1,000,000 / USD 127,475
KAWS
Final Days, 2017
Bronze
Signed, dated 17 and numbered AP 4/5 on the underside
This work is number AP 4/5 from an edition of 25 + 5 AP
FINAL DAYS, 2017
Phillips London: 28 June 2019
Estimated: GBP 50,000 – 70,000
GBP 106,250 / USD 134,865
KAWS – 20th Century & Contemporary Art… Lot 179 June 2019 | Phillips
KAWS
FINAL DAYS, 2017
Bronze
Incised with the artist’s name and date ‘KAWS..17′ on the underside of the left foot
Further numbered ’24/25’ on the underside of the right foot
This work is number 24 from an edition of 25
Final Days (Wood)
FINAL DAYS
Medium: Afromosia wood
Year: 2014
Dimensions: 84 x 74 x 53 1/2 inches (210 x 195 x 137 cm)
Edition: 3
Artist’s Proofs: 2 AP
FINAL DAYS
Medium: Afromosia wood (Black)
Year: 2014
Dimensions: 82 5/8 x 76 3/4 x 53 7/8 inches (210 x 195 x 137 cm)
Edition: 3
Artist’s Proofs: 2 AP
Auction Results
FINAL DAYS, 2014
Phillips Hong-Kong: 30 November 2021
Estimated: HKD 6,200,000 – 8,200,000
HKD 8,115,000 / USD 1,040,740
KAWS – 20th Century & Contemporary … Lot 47 November 2021 | Phillips
KAWS
FINAL DAYS, 2014
Wood
210x195x137 cm (84 x 74 x 53 1/2 inches)
This work is number 2 from an edition of 3 plus 2 artist’s proofs
Final Days, 2016
Sotheby’s London: 10 November 2021
Estimated: GBP 700,000 – 1,000,000
GBP 874,100 / USD 1,180,955
Final Days | Contemporary Curated | 2021 | Sotheby’s (sothebys.com)
KAWS (b. 1974)
Final Days, 2016
Afromosia wood
81 1/2 x 64 1/8 x 90 1/8 inches (207x163x229 cm)
This work is number 1 from an edition of 3, plus 2 artist’s proofs
FINAL DAYS, 2013
Phillips New-York: 14 November 2019
Estimated: USD 1,000,000 – 1,500,000
USD 1,460,000
KAWS – 20th C. & Contemporary Art E… Lot 34 November 2019 | Phillips
KAWS
FINAL DAYS, 2013
Afromosia wood
This work is number 3 from an edition of 3 plus 2 artist’s proofs
FINAL DAYS, 2014
Phillips Hong-Kong: 27 May 2018
Estimated: HKD 3,000,000 – 5,000,000
HKD 5,620,000 / USD 716,415
KAWS – 20th Century & Contemporary Art &… Lot 33 May 2018 | Phillips
KAWS
FINAL DAYS, 2014
Afromosia wood
This work is number 2 from an edition of 3 and 2 artist’s proofs