What is KAWS’s piece called “Small Lie (Black)”?

Summary

Small Lie is one of KAWS's most significant Pinocchio-derived works, depicting a tall, standing figure with the elongated forms and posture echoing the lying puppet, hands at its sides and crossed-out X eyes facing forward. This black version renders the figure in KAWS's clean, monochrome finish, emphasizing its silhouette and scale. The title plays on Pinocchio's growing nose and the moral weight of deceit, recasting a children's-story character as a quietly melancholic standing figure. As an editioned object, Small Lie translates the imposing scale of KAWS's larger Small Lie sculpture into a collectible format with strong sculptural presence.

Why It Matters

Small Lie is among KAWS's marquee appropriations of the Pinocchio character, a work that the artist developed at monumental scale, including towering wooden versions exhibited internationally. The image fuses cartoon appropriation with a meditation on honesty, innocence, and moral failing, themes that give the friendly form an undertow of seriousness. Its standing, frontal posture and the loaded title make it one of his more conceptually pointed character works, distinct from the seated Companion poses. For collectors, owning a Small Lie figure connects to one of KAWS's celebrated large-scale projects and to his enduring engagement with beloved commercial characters. The black colorway, austere and graphic, heightens the figure's sculptural impact. As a recognizable and conceptually rich KAWS subject, Small Lie occupies an important place in his catalog and remains a desirable acquisition for collectors building around his appropriation and character-based work.

Collector Perspective

Small Lie appeals to collectors who value KAWS's character appropriations and want a standing figure with strong vertical presence, a different silhouette from the ubiquitous seated Companion. The black colorway is bold and graphic, reading as a refined, almost minimalist display object that anchors a shelf or vitrine. Within a collection, it adds conceptual depth through its Pinocchio reference and its theme of deceit, complementing the more straightforwardly cute or melancholic Companion pieces. Buyers often connect it to KAWS's monumental Small Lie sculptures, valuing the link to a major exhibited project. Its combination of recognizable subject, conceptual weight, and clean form makes it a meaningful piece for collectors seeking range beyond the standard Companion.

Historical Context

Small Lie belongs to KAWS's mature phase of cartoon appropriation and monumental sculpture, when he developed Pinocchio-derived figures at towering scale for international exhibitions, including large carved-wood versions. The editioned figures distill those imposing works into collectible form. The piece reflects how KAWS repeatedly returned to famous characters, recasting them through his crossed-out vocabulary and investing them with adult emotional and moral content. It sits at the intersection of his appropriation practice and his expansion into large-scale, globally toured sculpture, a defining combination of his most ambitious period.

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