KAWS: HOLIDAY #5
As the fifth destination in the global KAWS: HOLIDAY project, KAWS took a more conceptual turn, shifting from large-scale public installations to a stratospheric art experiment. In collaboration with AllRightsReserved, KAWS launched a Companion figure into near space using a weather balloon, documenting its journey beyond Earth’s atmosphere. To commemorate the event, he released a vinyl sculpture depicting Companion in full astronaut gear, crouched slightly and holding its face in a gesture that reads as awe, fatigue, or introspection.
Introduction
Released in August 2020, The defining feature of these editions is their mirror-like metallic finish. Unlike the matte or softly textured surfaces of earlier vinyl works, these versions adopt a hyper-polished, industrial aesthetic. The figures reflect their surroundings almost perfectly, dissolving their own form into the environment.
This transformation is critical. The Companion is no longer just an object to be viewed—it becomes a surface that captures and returns the world around it. In silver, the effect is almost neutral and infinite; in gold, it introduces a layer of opulence and symbolic value; in black chrome, it becomes more opaque, more enigmatic, absorbing rather than reflecting light.
The figure itself departs from the standard Companion posture. Dressed in a space suit, complete with detailed paneling, tubing, and life-support elements, the character covers its face with both hands—a gesture immediately recognizable from earlier KAWS works. This pose, often associated with introspection or withdrawal, takes on a new meaning in this context. Removed from Earth, floating in space, the figure does not look outward—it turns inward. The helmet is absent, yet the gesture suggests both protection and disconnection.
The editions directly reference the 2020 Holiday Space project, developed in collaboration with aerospace partners, in which a large inflatable Companion was sent into near space and documented as it orbited above the planet. This event marked one of the most extreme expansions of KAWS’ practice—geographically, conceptually, and symbolically. The translation into metallic editions condenses that monumental gesture into a collectible format. The cosmic scale is reduced, but the conceptual ambition remains intact.
The space-suited figure also recalls the iconic Moonman trophy from the MTV Video Music Awards, a symbol deeply embedded in popular culture. While the original trophy was not designed by KAWS, his 2013 reinterpretation introduced his visual language into that established form, creating a clear precedent for this type of imagery.
In Holiday Space, the reference is both formal and material. The suit—articulated with hoses, valves, and technical paneling—is rendered in polyurethane, a medium that allows for highly precise casting and intricate surface detail. This industrial base is then elevated through high-gloss metallic finishes—silver, gold, and black chrome—which transform the figure into a reflective object, dissolving its form into its surroundings. The result is a work that operates simultaneously as a nod to pop-cultural iconography and as a highly engineered, design-driven sculpture, where material and reference converge to shift the Companion from emblem to artifact.
At its core, Holiday Space is about displacement. The Companion—originally rooted in urban culture and mass media—is removed entirely from its context and placed in the most abstract environment imaginable.
The reflective surface reinforces this idea. In space, there is nothing to reflect—only void. Yet here, on Earth, the object reflects everything. This paradox sits at the center of the work: a figure designed for isolation that becomes hyper-connected through reflection. The face-covering gesture adds another layer. It suggests retreat, perhaps even overwhelm—an ironic response to the vastness of space. The figure has reached the ultimate frontier, yet chooses not to see it.
These editions represent one of the most conceptually ambitious moments in KAWS’ career. They extend the logic of the Companion beyond sculpture, beyond installation, into event and spectacle—while maintaining a tight control over form and identity. In material terms, they also mark a departure. The use of chrome finishes aligns the work with a different lineage—closer to industrial design and luxury objects—while still operating within the framework of contemporary art.
Holiday Space is not simply a variation—it is an expansion. It demonstrates that the Companion is not confined to scale, medium, or even environment. It can exist on the street, in the museum, in the collector’s home, or in orbit. And in each case, it remains unmistakably itself.
HOLIDAY SPACE, 2020
HOLIDAY SPACE (Silver, Gold, Black)
The complete set of three works
Medium: Polyurethane
Year: 2020
Dimensions: 30x12x11 cm (11-3/4 x 4-7/8 x 4-1/2 inches)
Edition: Limited edition of an unknown size, unnumbered
Release Price: USD 385
Produced by AllRightsReserved Ltd., Hong Kong
Impressed signature, title and inscription to underside
‘Kaws: Holiday Space Made in China’
Auction Results
SBI Art Auction: 14 September 2024
Estimated: JPY 150,000 – 250,000
JPY 299,000 / USD 2,125
KAWS
KAWS: HOLIDAY SPACE (Gold, Black, Silver), 2020
Polyurethane, multiple with original case, 3 works
LA Modern: 28 September 2023
Estimated: USD 2,500 – 3,500
USD 2,394
KAWS (Brian Donnelly, b.1974)
Holiday Space (three works), 2020
Polyurethane
Impressed signature, title and inscription to underside of each work
‘Kaws: Holiday Space Made in China’
This complete set of three works is from an edition of unknown size
Produced by AllRightsReserved Ltd., Hong Kong
Sold with original packaging
Heritage Auctions: 3 May 2023
USD 3,000
KAWS (b. 1974)
Holiday: Space (set of 3), 2020
Polyurethane
Open Edition
Each stamped to the underside of the feet
Produced by AllRightsReserved, Hong Kong
Bonhams Hong-Kong: 10 December 2020
Estimated: HKD 20,000 – 40,000
HKD 61,200 / USD 7,895
AUCTION RECORD FOR HOLIDAY SPACE SET
KAWS (American, born 1974)
KAWS: Holiday Space (A complete set of three), 2020
Polyurethane
Stamped KAWS: HOLIDAY SPACE on the underside
These works are from an open edition
Accompanied by the original boxes
HOLIDAY SPACE (Black), 2020
HOLIDAY SPACE (Black)
Medium: Polyurethane
Year: 2020
Dimensions: 30x12x11 cm (11-3/4 x 4-7/8 x 4-1/2 inches)
Edition: Limited edition of an unknown size, unnumbered
Release Price: USD 385
Produced by AllRightsReserved Ltd., Hong Kong
Impressed signature, title and inscription to underside
‘Kaws: Holiday Space Made in China’
Auction Results
LA Modern: 22 August 2025
Estimated: USD 600 – 800
USD 990
KAWS (Brian Donnelly, b.1974)
Holiday Space Companion (Black), 2020
Polyurethane
Impressed signature, title and inscription to underside
‘Kaws: Holiday Space Made in China’
This work is from an edition of unknown size
Produced by AllRightsReserved Ltd., Hong Kong
Sold with original packaging
Heritage Auctions: 22 May 2025
USD 1,062.50
KAWS (b. 1974)
Holiday: Space (Black), 2020
Polyurethane
Stamped on underside of feet
Produced by AllRightsReserved, Hong Kong
Tate Ward Auctions: 1 May 2025
Estimated: GBP 500 – 800
GBP 625 / USD 830
KAWS (American 1974-)
‘Holiday Space (Black)’, 2020
Polyurethane cast multiple
Artists name and titled printed to the underside of the figure
Published by AllRightsReserved, Hong Kong
Tate Ward Auctions: 13 February 2025
Estimated: GBP 500 – 800
GBP 750 / USD 935
Heritage Auctions: 5 May 2021
USD 1,875
AUCTION RECORD FOR SPACE HOLIDAY (BLACK)
KAWS (b. 1974)
Holiday: Space (Black), 2020
Polyurethane
Stamped on underside of feet
Produced by AllRightsReserved, Hong Kong
HOLIDAY SPACE (Silver), 2020
HOLIDAY SPACE (Silver)
Medium: Polyurethane
Year: 2020
Dimensions: 30x12x11 cm (11-3/4 x 4-7/8 x 4-1/2 inches)
Edition: Limited edition of an unknown size, unnumbered
Release Price: USD 385
Produced by AllRightsReserved Ltd., Hong Kong
Impressed signature, title and inscription to underside
‘Kaws: Holiday Space Made in China’
Auction Results
Tate Ward Auctions: 17 March 2026
Estimated: GBP 400 – 600
GBP 875 / USD 1,170
KAWS (American 1974-)
‘Holiday Space (Silver)’, 2020
Polyurethane cast multiple
Artists name and titled printed to the underside of the figure
Published by AllRightsReserved, Hong Kong
Heritage Auctions: 7 January 2026
USD 812.50
KAWS (b. 1974)
Holiday: Space (Silver), 2020
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped on underside of feet
Produced by AllRightsReserved, Hong Kong
Heritage Auctions: 12 December 2025
USD 688
Heritage Auctions: 5 November 2025
USD 1,188
Tate Ward Auctions: 30 October 2025
Estimated: GBP 400 – 600
GBP 625 / USD 940
Heritage Auctions: 3 September 2025
USD 813
Tate Ward Auctions: 13 August 2025
Estimated: GBP 400 – 600
GBP 1,062 / USD 1,410
Heritage Auctions: 6 August 2025
USD 525
Heritage Auctions: 7 May 2025
USD 813
Tate Ward Auctions: 19 March 2025
Estimated: GBP 500 – 800
GBP 688 / USD 890
Heritage Auctions: 8 January 2025
USD 875
Heritage Auctions: 1 March 2023
USD 2,125
AUCTION RECORD FOR HOLIDAY SPACE (SILVER)
KAWS (b. 1974)
Holiday: Space (Silver), 2020
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped on underside of feet
Produced by AllRightsReserved, Hong Kong
HOLIDAY SPACE (Gold), 2020
HOLIDAY SPACE (Gold)
Medium: Polyurethane
Year: 2020
Dimensions: 30x12x11 cm (11-3/4 x 4-7/8 x 4-1/2 inches)
Edition: Limited edition of an unknown size, unnumbered
Release Price: USD 385
Produced by AllRightsReserved Ltd., Hong Kong
Impressed signature, title and inscription to underside
‘Kaws: Holiday Space Made in China’
Auction Results
Nadeau’s Auction Gallery: 21 November 2024
Estimated: USD 400 – 800
USD 800
Brian Donnelly “KAWS” (American B.1974)
Holiday Space Figure, 2020
Gold polyurethane figure, open edition
Stamped signature and date to base
Heritage Auctions: 6 January 2021
USD 2,750
AUCTION RECORD FOR HOLIDAY SPACE (GOLD)
KAWS (b. 1974)
Holiday Space (Gold), 2020
Polyurethane
Open Edition
Stamped on the underside
Published by AllRightsReserved, Hong Kong