The Chomper BE@RBRICK stands at the intersection of two of the most influential visual systems in contemporary collectible culture: KAWS’ Companions and Medicom Toy’s BE@RBRICK platform. By adapting his Chomper character to the standardized BE@RBRICK format, KAWS engages in a deliberate act of translation—embedding his own visual language within an existing structural template. The result is a work that operates simultaneously as collaboration, appropriation, and extension of his practice.
Introduction
The figure adopts the rigid, modular structure of the BE@RBRICK—upright, symmetrical, and articulated through simplified cylindrical forms. Within this standardized body, KAWS inserts the defining features of his Chomper character.
The most prominent element is the exaggerated grin, composed of a continuous row of exposed teeth that stretches across the face, replacing the neutral expression typically associated with BE@RBRICK figures. Above it, the signature X-shaped eyes assert the artist’s identity with clarity. The ears, rounded and protruding, maintain the silhouette of the BE@RBRICK while subtly echoing the morphology of KAWS’ broader character universe. The composition is frontal and stable, with no implied movement. The figure stands as an object rather than a gesture—contained, direct, and immediately legible.
Across the three scales—100%, 400%, and 1000%—the form remains identical, with only size altering the viewer’s experience. The smallest reads as a collectible unit; the largest approaches the scale of sculpture.
Executed in painted cast vinyl and produced by Medicom Toy, the work adheres to the manufacturing precision associated with BE@RBRICK editions. The surfaces are smooth and reflective, with crisp separations between color zones.
The standardized scaling system—100%, 400%, and 1000%—is central to the work. Rather than creating variation through design, KAWS allows scale itself to function as the primary differentiator. This repetition reinforces the industrial logic of the object while simultaneously elevating it into a sculptural context at larger sizes.
KAWS’ engagement with BE@RBRICK reflects his broader interest in systems of production and distribution. By working within Medicom Toy’s established framework, he inserts his practice into a pre-existing global network of collectors and consumers.
The Chomper figure, originally developed within KAWS’ own character ecosystem, undergoes a form of standardization through this collaboration. It is no longer a singular sculptural form—it becomes a repeatable unit within a larger system. This dynamic aligns with KAWS’ ongoing exploration of the boundaries between art, design, and mass production.
At its core, the work explores the tension between individuality and standardization.
The BE@RBRICK body is fixed—neutral, generic, and universally recognizable. Into this framework, KAWS introduces a highly specific identity through the Chomper’s grin and X-eyes. The result is a layered object. It is both anonymous and authored, generic and singular. The grin itself introduces ambiguity. It may suggest playfulness, but also carries an edge—its uniformity bordering on mechanical repetition. Combined with the absence of expression in the eyes, the figure resists emotional readability.
Rather than conveying feeling, it presents a surface: polished, controlled, and slightly detached.
KAWS’ BE@RBRICK collaborations occupy a central position within his market, bridging the worlds of fine art, design, and collectible culture. Their accessibility, combined with strong visual identity, has contributed to sustained demand across a broad collector base. The Chomper variant is particularly significant, as it integrates one of KAWS’ most recognizable motifs into the BE@RBRICK system, reinforcing the adaptability of his visual language.
More broadly, these works exemplify a key aspect of KAWS’ legacy: the ability to operate within existing cultural frameworks while maintaining a distinct and immediately identifiable artistic presence. Here, the gesture is simple but precise. A standardized body becomes a signature object.
Chompers Companions Be@rbrick, 2003
Chompers Bearbrick (1000%/400%/100%)
The complete set of three works
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2003
Dimensions:
1000%: 72x35x22 cm (28-1/4 x 13-3/4 x 8-1/2 inches)
400%: 27x13x10 cm (10-3/4 x 5-1/4 x 3-3/4 inches)
Edition: 500, unnumbered
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo
Printed signature, date and manufacturer’s mark to reverse
‘B@000.comLTD011 © KAWS..03 © axev a nation avex summer festa’
Impressed title and manufacturer’s marks to underside
‘Medicom Toy Be@rbrick’
Chompers Companion Be@rbrick 1000%
Chompers Companion Be@rbrick 1000%
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2003
Dimensions: 72x35x22 cm (28-1/4 x 13-3/4 x 8-1/2 inches)
Edition: 500, unnumbered
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo
Printed signature, date and manufacturer’s mark to reverse
‘B@000.comLTD011 © KAWS..03 © axev a nation avex summer festa’
Impressed title and manufacturer’s marks to underside
‘Medicom Toy Be@rbrick’
Auction Results
Heritage Auctions: 13 April 2021
USD: 1,562.50
BE@RBRICK X KAWS
Chompers 1000%, 2003
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped to the reverse and underside of the feet
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo
Chompers Companion Be@rbrick 400%
Chompers Companion Be@rbrick 400%
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2003
Dimensions: 27x13x10 cm (10-3/4 x 5-1/4 x 3-3/4 inches)
Edition: 500, unnumbered
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo
Stamped signature, date and manufacturer’s mark to reverse
‘B@000.comLTD011 © KAWS..03 © axev a nation avex summer festa’
Impressed title and manufacturer’s marks to underside
‘Medicom Toy Be@rbrick’
Auction Results
LA Modern: 10 April 2024
Estimated: USD 1,000 – 1,500
USD 1,197
KAWS (Brian Donnelly, b.1974)
Chompers Be@rbrick 400%, 2003
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped signature, date and manufacturer’s mark to reverse
‘B@000.comLTD011 © KAWS..03 © axev a nation avex summer festa’
Impressed title and manufacturer’s marks to underside
‘Medicom Toy Be@rbrick’
This work is from the edition of 500
Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo