SHARE stands among the most narratively charged sculptural editions in KAWS’ oeuvre. First introduced in 2019 in the exhibition BLACKOUT at Skarstedt London, the work was later released as an edition in 2020, quickly establishing itself as a key moment in the evolution of the Companion figure. Here, KAWS moves beyond introspection toward interaction—introducing a second character and, with it, a subtle but powerful exploration of attachment, empathy, and emotional exchange.
Introduction
The composition presents a standing Companion figure holding a small, limp secondary character—recognizable as a distorted, plush-like form reminiscent of KAWS’ BFF vocabulary. The larger figure stands upright, stable and composed, while the smaller figure hangs downward, passive and almost weightless. The Companion’s posture is particularly telling: one hand rests across its torso, while the other loosely holds the smaller figure. The grip is neither tight nor careless—it suggests possession without attachment, control without urgency.
Across the black, brown, and grey colorways, the chromatic relationships subtly shift the dynamic. The contrast between the primary figure and the smaller character—often rendered in more vivid tones—creates a visual hierarchy that reinforces their conceptual roles.
Executed in painted cast vinyl, SHARE maintains the industrial clarity characteristic of KAWS’ editions. The surfaces are smooth, the forms simplified, and the finish deliberately uniform. The introduction of a second sculptural element adds complexity to the composition. Despite its apparent simplicity, the balance between the two figures is carefully calibrated, both physically and visually. As with many KAWS editions of this period, the work exists across several colorways, allowing for variations in tone while preserving the integrity of the form.
Debuting in BLACKOUT (Skarstedt London, 2019), SHARE marked a significant development in KAWS’ practice, introducing relational dynamics into a body of work historically centered on solitary figures. The sculpture gained further visibility when a monumental version was installed at Rockefeller Center in New York in August 2021. This public presentation reinforced the work’s broader resonance, positioning it within a shared urban space and amplifying its thematic concerns. The transition from gallery debut to public installation, and then to editioned form, reflects KAWS’ increasingly fluid movement between institutional, commercial, and public contexts.
At its core, SHARE is about duality—presence and absence, connection and detachment. The Companion appears self-contained, even composed, while the smaller figure reads as vulnerable, almost surrendered. The act of holding becomes ambiguous: is it protective, possessive, or indifferent?
The title introduces a further layer. “Share” implies exchange, generosity, or connection—yet the visual suggests asymmetry. The Companion does not engage with the smaller figure; it simply holds it. This tension between title and image is central to the work’s meaning. More broadly, the sculpture can be read as a meditation on contemporary relationships—how we carry others, how we project onto them, and how proximity does not necessarily equate to connection.
SHARE has become one of the most recognizable and sought-after KAWS editions of the 2020 period. Its strong narrative clarity, combined with its formal simplicity, has ensured broad appeal across both seasoned collectors and newer audiences. The work also marks an important conceptual shift. By introducing interaction, KAWS expands the emotional and symbolic range of his figures, moving from isolated states to relational dynamics. In this sense, SHARE is not merely an addition to the Companion series—it is a reconfiguration of it, opening the door to a more complex and layered sculptural language.
SHARE, 2020
SHARE (Brown/Black/Grey)
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2020
Dimensions: 32x16x10 cm (12-5/8 x 6-1/4 x 4 inches)
Edition: Open edition
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo
Stamped signature, title, date and manufacturer’s mark to the underside
‘KAWS..20 Share Medicom Toy China’
Auction Results
SBI Art Auction: 14 September 2024
Estimated: JPY 200,000 – 300,000
JPY 230,000 / USD 1,635
KAWS
SHARE OPEN EDITION (Gray, Brown, Black), 2020
Vinyl, multiple with original case, 3 works
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 26 June 2021
Estimated: HKD 10,000 – 20,000
HKD 60,480 / USD 7,800
KAWS (b.1974)
SHARE (Brown/Black/Grey) (Set of Three), 2020
Painted cast vinyl, with respective original product and carton box
Each printed with the artist’s signature, fabricator, title and dated 20 on the underside
These works are from an open edition produced by Medicom Toy
SHARE (Grey), 2020
SHARE (Grey)
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2020
Dimensions: 32x16x10 cm (12-5/8 x 6-1/4 x 4 inches)
Edition: Open edition
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo
Stamped signature, title, date and manufacturer’s mark to the underside
‘KAWS..20 Share Medicom Toy China’
Auction Results
LA Modern: 22 October 2025
Estimated: USD 400 – 600
USD 889
KAWS (Brian Donnelly, b.1974)
Share (Gray/Pink), 2020
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped signature, title, date and manufacturer’s mark to the underside
‘KAWS..20 Share Medicom Toy China’
This work is from the edition of unknown size
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo
Sold with original packaging
SHARE (Brown), 2020
SHARE (Brown)
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2020
Dimensions: 32x16x10 cm (12-5/8 x 6-1/4 x 4 inches)
Edition: Open edition
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo
Stamped signature, title, date and manufacturer’s mark to the underside
‘KAWS..20 Share Medicom Toy China’
Auction Results
Heritage Auctions: 7 August 2024
USD 600
KAWS (b. 1974)
Share (Brown), 2020
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped on underside of feet
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo
Heritage Auctions: 3 June 2020
Estimated: USD 400 – 600
USD 2,250
KAWS (b. 1974)
Share (Brown), 2020
Painted cast vinyl
Open Edition
Stamped to the underside of the feet
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo
SHARE (Black), 2020
SHARE (Black)
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2020
Dimensions: 32x16x10 cm (12-5/8 x 6-1/4 x 4 inches)
Edition: Open edition
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo
Stamped signature, title, date and manufacturer’s mark to the underside
‘KAWS..20 Share Medicom Toy China’
Auction Results
Artcurial Paris: 7 October 2025
Estimated: EUR 500 – 700
EUR 984 / USD 1,154
KAWS
Share, 2020
Painted cast vinyl
In its original box
Open Edition
Tate Ward Auctions: 11 December 2024
Estimated: GBP 400 – 600
GBP 812 / USD 1,035
KAWS (American 1974-)
‘Share (Black)’, 2020
Painted cast vinyl figure
Stamped to the underside of the feet
Manufactured by Medicom Toy