Released in 2020, Separated Companion marks one of the most emotionally explicit evolutions of KAWS’ iconic Companion figure. While earlier iterations often balanced irony and detachment, this work abandons distance entirely, presenting a character overwhelmed, withdrawn, and unmistakably human in its vulnerability.
Introduction
The figure is seated on the ground, legs crossed, body folded inward. Its head is buried into its hands, fully obscuring the face: a rare and deliberate erasure of identity. The posture is compact, almost protective, as if the figure is attempting to disappear into itself. The formal vocabulary remains consistent with KAWS’ Companion: rounded ears, simplified anatomy, and gloved hands marked with the signature “X.” Yet here, these familiar elements are subordinated to gesture. The sculpture is no longer about character recognition: it is about emotional state.
Each colorway subtly alters the reading. The brown version introduces warmth and corporeality, the grey emphasizes neutrality and introspection, while the black version intensifies the sense of weight and finality, pushing the work toward a more somber, almost sculptural gravitas. Executed in painted cast vinyl, the work maintains the industrial precision characteristic of KAWS’ editions. The surface is smooth, uniform, and deliberately devoid of texture, reinforcing the tension between the emotional subject and the impersonal medium.
Despite its apparent simplicity, the sculpture is carefully engineered. The compact pose creates a self-contained volume, allowing the work to function almost as a closed form: an object that resists external engagement, mirroring its internalized subject. The multiple colorways and broad distribution reflect KAWS’ continued engagement with accessibility, even as the conceptual depth of the work becomes more pronounced.
Released during a period marked by global disruption, Separated Companion was widely interpreted as a reflection of collective emotional states: loneliness, anxiety, and disconnection. While KAWS rarely anchors his works in explicit narratives, the timing of this release inevitably shaped its reception. The sculpture also extends a trajectory within KAWS’ practice toward increasingly introspective figures. From earlier standing or reclining Companions, the move to a fully withdrawn posture represents a conceptual shift: the character is no longer performing for the viewer, but retreating from them.
At its core, Separated Companion is about absence: of face, of expression, of interaction. By covering the head entirely, KAWS removes the primary site of communication, forcing the viewer to read the body instead. The result is immediate and universal. The work operates in a delicate space between specificity and abstraction. It is clearly a figure, yet its emotional content is open-ended: grief, exhaustion, shame, or simply withdrawal. This ambiguity is precisely what gives the sculpture its strength. The title reinforces this reading. “Separated” suggests not only physical isolation, but also a psychological divide—between self and world, between presence and disappearance.
Separated Companion quickly established itself as one of the defining KAWS editions of the 2020s. Its strong visual identity, combined with its emotional clarity, has ensured sustained demand across both primary and secondary markets. The work also illustrates a broader evolution in KAWS’ market positioning: while still operating within the framework of editions, certain pieces—particularly those with strong conceptual resonance—achieve a level of cultural saturation that elevates them beyond typical collectible objects. Separated Companion stands as a key example of KAWS’ ability to translate complex emotional states into a universally legible form, arguably one of the central reasons for his enduring relevance.
SEPARATED (Brown/Grey/Black), 2020
SEPARATED (Brown/Grey/Black)
The complete set of three works
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2020
Dimensions: 20x16x20 cm (7-3/4 x 6-1/4 x 8 inches)
Edition: Unknown size
Produced by AllRightsReserved Ltd., Hong Kong
Stamped signature, title, date and inscription to underside of each example ‘Kaws 20 Separated Made in China’
Auction Results
Christie’s online: 26 February 2025
Estimated: USD 1,000 – 1,500
USD 2,520
KAWS (B. 1974)
SEPARATED: two works, 2021
Two vinyl multiples
Each with the artist’s name and title printed on the underside
From the open edition
Each with the original packaging and holograms
Tate Ward Auctions: 19 June 2024
Estimated: GBP 800 – 1,200
GBP 938 / USD 1,193
KAWS (American 1974-)
‘Separated’, 2020
A complete set of three cast vinyl figures
Stamped to the undersides of all three figures
LA Modern: 28 September 2023
Estimated: USD 1,200 – 1,800
USD 1,386
KAWS (Brian Donnelly, b.1974)
Separated (three works), 2020
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped signature, title, date and inscription to underside of each example
‘Kaws 20 Separated Made in China’
This complete set of three works is from an edition of unknown size
Produced by AllRightsReserved Ltd., Hong Kong
SEPARATED (Brown), 2020
SEPARATED (Brown)
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2020
Dimensions: 20x16x20 cm (7-3/4 x 6-1/4 x 8 inches)
Edition: Unknown size
Produced by AllRightsReserved Ltd., Hong Kong
Stamped signature, title, date and inscription to underside
‘Kaws 20 Separated Made in China’
Auction Results
Heritage Auctions: 12 December 2025
USD 425
KAWS (b. 1974)
Separated (Brown), 2021
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped on underside
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo
Tate Ward Auctions: 10 December 2025
Estimated: GBP 300 – 500
GBP 438 / USD 585
KAWS (American 1974-)
‘Separated (Brown)’, 2020
Vinyl figure
Stamped to the undersides of the foot
Accompanied by original presentation box
SEPARATED (Black), 2020
SEPARATED (Black)
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2020
Dimensions: 20x16x20 cm (7-3/4 x 6-1/4 x 8 inches)
Edition: Unknown size
Produced by AllRightsReserved Ltd., Hong Kong
Stamped signature, title, date and inscription to underside
‘Kaws 20 Separated Made in China’
Auction Results
Heritage Auctions: 2 April 2025
USD 1,750
KAWS (b. 1974)
Separated (Black), 2020
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped on underside
SEPARATED (Grey), 2020
SEPARATED (Grey)
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2020
Dimensions: 20x16x20 cm (7-3/4 x 6-1/4 x 8 inches)
Edition: Unknown size
Produced by AllRightsReserved Ltd., Hong Kong
Stamped signature, title, date and inscription to underside
‘Kaws 20 Separated Made in China’
Auction Results
Heritage Auctions: 12 December 2025
USD 300
KAWS (b. 1974)
Separated (Grey), 2021
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped on underside
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo