With Together, KAWS distills his visual language to one of its most direct, and disarmingly sincere, gestures: the embrace. Released in 2018 in three principal colorways (brown, grey, and black), the work departs from the solitary introspection of figures such as Companion or Small Lie, introducing instead a relational dynamic at the core of the composition.

---

Introduction

---

The sculpture presents two Companion figures locked in a tight embrace, their bodies pressed closely together, arms wrapped firmly around one another. Unlike many of KAWS’ works, where the figure stands isolated, here the composition is inseparable: the forms merge into a single volumetric unit.

One figure buries its head into the shoulder of the other, partially obscuring its face, while the second figure remains more visible, its crossed-out eyes facing outward. This asymmetry is crucial. It introduces a subtle narrative tension—between concealment and exposure, between seeking comfort and offering it. The overall structure is compact, almost block-like, reinforcing the sense of unity. The embrace is not loose or casual; it is firm, even protective. The figures do not simply touch—they hold.

The brown version retains a connection to KAWS’ early cartoon influences, grounding the scene in a familiar visual warmth. This familiarity enhances the emotional accessibility of the work, making the embrace feel almost nostalgic. The grey version abstracts the composition, reducing emotional cues tied to color and allowing the viewer to focus on form and gesture. It becomes more sculptural, less narrative. The black version introduces a more introspective, even solemn tone. With its darker palette—and in some cases contrasting eye details, it amplifies the emotional density of the embrace, shifting it from comfort toward something more ambiguous: protection, dependency, or even quiet tension.

Together was released as a vinyl edition in collaboration with Medicom Toy, continuing KAWS’ long-standing strategy of translating sculptural ideas into collectible formats. The work also exists in monumental versions, reinforcing its importance within the artist’s broader practice.

Emerging at a moment when KAWS had fully established his global presence—across museums, public installations, and the commercial sphere—Together reflects a shift toward more explicitly emotional subject matter. It moves beyond the language of individual identity into that of connection.

At its core, Together is about proximity: physical, emotional, and psychological. The embrace is immediately legible, yet its meaning remains open. Is it comfort? Protection? Dependence? The ambiguity is intentional. KAWS avoids sentimentality by maintaining the emotional opacity of his figures. The crossed-out eyes prevent direct communication, even in a moment of intimacy. The figures are connected, but they do not “see” each other in a traditional sense. This tension, between closeness and disconnection, is where the work resonates most strongly. It reflects a contemporary condition in which relationships are both intensified and complicated, where physical proximity does not necessarily resolve emotional distance.

Within the Companion universe, Together represents a significant evolution. It shifts the focus from the internal state of a single figure to the interaction between two. In doing so, it expands the narrative potential of KAWS’ work without abandoning its formal discipline. The piece is both simple and precise. It relies on a universally understood gesture, yet controls it with enough restraint to avoid cliché. The result is a work that feels immediate, almost instinctive—yet remains conceptually grounded. In a practice often defined by repetition and variation, Together stands out for its clarity. It does not complicate the language, it concentrates it.

 

 

---

TOGETHER (Brown/Grey/Black), 2018

---

 

TOGETHER (Brown/Grey/Black)

The complete set of three works
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2018
Dimensions: 25x20x15 cm (9-7/8 x 7-7/8 x 5-7/8 inches)
Edition: Unknown size
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo

Stamped signature, title, date and manufacturer’s mark to underside
‘KAWS..18 Together Medicom Toy China’

 

 

 

---

TOGETHER (Brown), 2018

---

TOGETHER (Brown)

Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2018
Dimensions: 25x20x15 cm (9-7/8 x 7-7/8 x 5-7/8 inches)
Edition: Unknown size
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo

Stamped signature, title, date and manufacturer’s mark to underside
‘KAWS..18 Together Medicom Toy China’

 

Auction Results

---

Tate Ward Auctions: 11 December 2024
Estimated: GBP 500 – 800
GBP 1,020 / USD 1,350

KAWS (American 1974-)
‘Together (Brown)’, 2018
Painted cast vinyl figure
Stamped to the underside
Manufactured by Medicom Toy

 

 

 

 

---

TOGETHER (Black), 2018

---

TOGETHER (Black)

Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2018
Dimensions: 25x20x15 cm (9-7/8 x 7-7/8 x 5-7/8 inches)
Edition: Unknown size
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo

Stamped signature, title, date and manufacturer’s mark to underside
‘KAWS..18 Together Medicom Toy China’

Auction Results

---

Tate Ward Auctions: 17 March 2026
Estimated: GBP 500 – 800
GBP 625 / USD 835

KAWS (American 1974-)
‘Together (Black)’, 2018
Painted cast vinyl figure
Stamped to the underside
Manufactured by Medicom Toy

 

 

 

---

TOGETHER (Grey), 2018

---

TOGETHER (Grey)

Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2018
Dimensions: 25x20x15 cm (9-7/8 x 7-7/8 x 5-7/8 inches)
Edition: Unknown size
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo

Stamped signature, title, date and manufacturer’s mark to underside
‘KAWS..18 Together Medicom Toy China’

 

 

Auction Results

---

LA Modern: 22 October 2025
Estimated: USD 800 – 1,200
USD 699

KAWS (Brian Donnelly, b.1974)
Together (Grey), 2018
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped signature, title, date and manufacturer’s mark to underside
‘KAWS..18 Together Medicom Toy China’
This work is from the edition of unknown size
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo

 

 

---

Together (Monumental)

---

Prodigious in scale, standing at over six feet tall, TOGETHER is instantly recognizable as a major work by KAWS, one of the most prominent and forward-looking artists of our present age. From a rare and particularly evocative small series of seven editions plus 2 artist’s proofs, this is the first time TOGETHER has ever been offered at auction before.

Stunningly realized in meticulously painted bronze, the present work depicts two of KAWS’s instantly recognizable COMPANION figures, which since their inception in 1999, have come to be recognized as among his most prized motifs. Differing from the other large-scale bronze works by the artist that have appeared on the market, most of which feature a solitary COMPANION rendered in various poses, here, KAWS presents us with a pair who are caught in a firm embrace – their arms tightly wrapped around one another in a manner that powerfully injects notions of humanity into the composition, juxtaposing the materiality of the solid sculptural piece.

 KAWS, TOGETHER, 2017 installed in St. Louis, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, FAR FAR DOWN, 5 May – 13 August 2017

Testament to the importance of this work, TOGETHER made its museum debut in 2017 at the esteemed Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, United States, where it was installed in the heart of the museum’s impressive courtyard, set against a backdrop of KAWS’s immense site-specific painting on the museum’s Project Wall. Despite the enormity of the space, it was TOGETHER that demanded the full attention of visitors – the COMPANION’s warm embrace evoking emotions and triggering a sense of childlike reverie.

KAWS, TOGETHER, 2017, installed at Melbourne, National Gallery of Victoria, KAWS: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness, 20 September 2019 – 15 March 2020, as featured in the exhibition’s catalogue, n.p.

Indeed, with further editions of the work featured in major exhibitions hosted by leading institutions around the world, including the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, the Hong Kong Contemporary Art Foundation, and Qatar Museum’s Doha Fire Station, TOGETHER is a prime and rare example from KAWS’s unique practice that perfectly embodies the very best of his impressive oeuvre.

KAWS follows in the longstanding tradition of sculpting in bronze, creating figures that stand firmly rooted to the ground yet appear animated, about to move at any time. His materiality brings to mind the working methods of Henry Moore, the famous English artist who became well-known for his large-scale bronze sculptures which frequently depicted abstract forms of reclining figures. Indeed, his work is interesting to consider in relation to KAWS, as like Moore, KAWS is deftly able to capture the intimacies of a relationship through the medium of bronze on a large-scale, demonstrating an adroit understanding of the medium that only few have mastered. Works such as Family Group (1949) by Moore demonstrate the English artist’s ability to evoke a lightness and dynamism despite the heaviness of its material, beautifully representing the trio’s tender emotional connection. In a similar manner, KAWS is able to uniquely portray a poignant moment in TOGETHER, stimulating the emotions of the viewer as we look on as an outsider to the intimate gesture.

Henry Moore, Family Group, 1949 / Collection of Tate, London

In making a more contemporary comparison, the work of Jeff Koons is prescient to consider in relation to that of KAWS, as he too references pop culture imagery in his work, manipulating his influences through scale and material. For example, Koons’ life-size Hulks from his acclaimed Hulk Elvis series (2004-14) are made from bronze, but appear weightless, their materiality curiously resembling that of inflatable toys. Working in a similar vein, KAWS’s TOGETHER also retains the smooth, toy-like appearance of his original vinyl miniatures blurring the lines between high art and low art in his juxtaposition of materiality.

Jeff Koons, Hulk (Organ), 2004-14

TOGETHER is engaging and enigmatic in equal measure, however, and differs from Koon’s Hulk in the intriguingly human aura each COMPANION figure evokes. Although COMPANION is often portrayed seeming sad, overwhelmed, or tired, hunched over or shying away from the world, here, the two COMPANION figures hug tightly, looking out at the viewer from over the other’s shoulder. As they are positioned together, we, the viewer, look on alone. Though conveying a playful disposition through their cartoon language which introduces a nostalgic potency, working to harness our childhood memories, both their body language and size is distinctly human, marking a strange shift in perspective that makes us feel as if it is we who have entered into their toy world. Contrasting this, however, are each figure’s pair of X-ed out eyes that eerily confront us, reminiscent of the image of cartoons after a character has drunk from a vial of poison. The inclusion of his signature detail gives a slightly sinister edge to the otherwise sweet work as KAWS blends playful wit with more morbid undertones, evoking empathy, humor, as well as a meditative reflection on fragility, ultimately presenting the viewer with a powerful exploration of the human condition.

 

Auction Results

---

#3. TOGETHER, 2017

Christie’s New-York: 30 September 2025
Estimated: USD 400,000 – 600,000
USD 508,000

KAWS (B. 1975), TOGETHER | Christie’s

KAWS (B. 1975)
TOGETHER, 2017
Painted bronze
72x56x40 inches (182.9 x 142.2 x 101.6 cm)
This work is number one from an edition of seven plus two artist’s proofs

TOGETHER, 2017

Phillips Hong-Kong: 8 June 2021
Estimated: HKD 7,000,000 – 9,000,000
HKD 10,656,000 / USD 1,373,150

KAWS – 20th Century & Contemporary Art … Lot 34 June 2021 | Phillips