Gauntlet Gallery
What is KAWS’s piece called “Together (Brown)”?
Summary
Together is one of KAWS's two-figure compositions, depicting a pair of Companion-type characters embracing or leaning into one another, a tender image of companionship and mutual support. This brown colorway renders that intertwined pair in KAWS's clean, sculptural style, with the figures' crossed-out X eyes and rounded, cartoon-derived bodies. Whether realized as a vinyl figure or a flat edition, the Together motif marks a warmer, more affectionate register in KAWS's vocabulary, where the usual solitary Companion is joined by a partner. The brown palette gives the work a soft, earthy tone that contrasts with the brighter colorways in the series.
Why It Matters
Together represents the family-and-companionship thread that runs through KAWS's mature work, where his characters are no longer isolated but paired, embracing, or caring for one another. This emotional turn, from the lonely Passing Through figure to the joined Together pair, broadened the emotional range of his practice and resonated widely with collectors drawn to its warmth. The motif of two figures clinging together became one of his most reproduced and beloved images, appearing across sculptures, figures, and editions, and it anchors the more hopeful side of his otherwise melancholic vocabulary. For collectors, Together offers a counterweight to the sadder Companion poses, and its tenderness gives it broad display appeal. It exemplifies how KAWS uses simple, appropriated cartoon forms to convey complex human feeling, the quality that elevated him from designer-toy maker to a contemporary artist whose work reads emotionally across cultures and audiences.
Collector Perspective
Together appeals to collectors who respond to KAWS's warmer, relational imagery, often those buying for the home rather than purely for investment. The embracing pair reads as affection and family, making it a popular gift and a strong decorative statement, particularly in shared or domestic spaces. The brown colorway is muted and versatile, easy to integrate into varied interiors and pleasant beside brighter Companion pieces. Within a KAWS collection, Together provides emotional and tonal balance, the companionable counterpoint to solitary poses like Passing Through. Collectors value it for the strength and recognizability of the two-figure motif as much as for any specific scarcity, and it frequently appears in collections assembled around the theme of companionship.
Historical Context
The shift from solitary Companion to paired figures marks an important development in KAWS's arc, aligning with the period when his characters took on familial and relational dimensions. Together belongs to his Companion and fine-art era, where the central character matured into a vehicle for themes of intimacy, family, and mutual support. This relational turn paralleled his move into larger sculptures and globally toured installations, and the embracing-pair motif became one of the defining images of that phase, reproduced across many formats and helping cement his reputation for emotionally resonant pop sculpture.
FAQ
What does Together depict?
It shows a pair of KAWS Companion-type figures embracing or leaning together, an image of companionship and mutual support.
How does it differ from the solitary Companion poses?
Together belongs to KAWS's warmer, relational imagery, pairing his characters rather than isolating them as in poses like Passing Through.
Why is the brown colorway notable?
The muted, earthy brown palette gives the piece a soft, versatile tone that contrasts with the brighter colorways in the series.
Who tends to collect it?
Collectors drawn to KAWS's warmer, family-themed imagery, often buying for the home, value Together for its tenderness and display appeal.
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.