Gauntlet Gallery
What is KAWS’s piece called “Chum (2022 Black)”?
Summary
Chum (2022 Black) is a vinyl figure rendition of KAWS's CHUM character, his appropriation of the Michelin Man rendered in a stark all-black finish. CHUM retains the puffy, segmented body of its source while bearing KAWS's signature X-eyes and skull-and-crossbones head, fusing advertising mascot iconography with his street-rooted death motif. The black colorway gives the figure a sleek, monochrome presence that emphasizes silhouette and form. As a collectible vinyl object, it exemplifies the toy-driven side of KAWS's practice that helped launch his global following and remains central to how collectors engage with his characters.
Why It Matters
CHUM is one of KAWS's foundational characters, a direct riff on the Michelin Man that exemplifies his strategy of hijacking corporate mascots and recoding them with his X-eyes and skull iconography. This appropriation is central to KAWS's significance: he turned the visual language of advertising against itself, embedding mortality and subversion into figures designed to sell. The 2022 black vinyl edition continues the lineage of CHUM figures that helped build the collectible-toy economy KAWS pioneered and that broadened his reach far beyond traditional galleries. For collectors, CHUM is a cornerstone character, and the black colorway is prized for its bold, graphic minimalism. The figure embodies the consumerism critique and pop-appropriation themes that run through KAWS's entire body of work, while also functioning as an accessible, design-forward object. Its place in the toy lineage links it to the moment when KAWS collapsed the boundary between fine art and collectible product, a move that reshaped contemporary art collecting and cemented his cross-cultural influence.
Collector Perspective
Chum (2022 Black) appeals to collectors building a survey of KAWS's core characters and to those who favor the toy and vinyl side of his practice. The monochrome black finish makes it a striking, versatile display object that pairs well with other CHUM and Companion figures. It attracts both dedicated KAWS toy collectors and design-minded buyers drawn to its clean silhouette and mascot-subversion concept. As an accessible-tier vinyl figure, it offers an affordable entry into owning one of KAWS's signature appropriated characters, and it sits naturally within a shelf grouping of his vinyl editions.
Historical Context
CHUM originates in KAWS's appropriation practice, which grew out of his 1990s street and subway work where he subverted existing advertising imagery. The character, derived from the Michelin Man, became a staple of his influential vinyl-toy output in the early 2000s, a body of work that redefined art collecting by treating figures as serious editioned objects. The 2022 black edition extends this lineage into the contemporary period, demonstrating the enduring demand for KAWS's core characters. It belongs to the toy and vinyl strand of his career while carrying forward the consumerism critique and skull-motif iconography that have defined his work since its street-art beginnings.
FAQ
What is CHUM based on?
CHUM is KAWS's appropriation of the Michelin Man, recoded with his signature X-eyes and skull-and-crossbones head.
What does the 'Black' refer to?
It denotes the all-black colorway of this 2022 vinyl edition, which emphasizes the figure's bold silhouette and form.
Is this a fine-art piece or a toy?
It is a collectible vinyl figure, part of the toy-driven side of KAWS's practice that blurs the line between art object and collectible.
Why is CHUM important to KAWS's work?
It is one of his core appropriated characters, embodying his critique of advertising and consumerism through subverted mascot imagery.
Related Works
About the Artist
KAWS is the working name of Brian Donnelly (b. 1974, Jersey City). He began in the 1990s subverting bus-shelter and phone-booth advertisements, then built a singular visual language around the Companion — a Mickey-Mouse-descended figure with crossed-out X eyes — alongside Chum, BFF, Accomplice and a cast of appropriated cartoon characters. His practice spans paintings, screenprints, vinyl and bronze sculpture, and the monumental KAWS:Holiday installations shown in cities worldwide. His work is held by the Brooklyn Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and major private collections, and he is among the most collected artists of his generation.