Chapter 1
The secret agent of street art
Chapter 2
The toy revolution
Chapter 3
Giant takeovers and public art
Chapter 4
The multi-million dollar auction boom
YOUR GOAL
Master of How KAWS hacked the art world
Ch 4 · The multi-million dollar auction boom
choko The Art Auction Boom
Fourteen million sold, Sotheby's went wild, street art took the crown.
choko Uniqlo UT Art Collaborations
Art for all! Art for all! Wear a masterpiece out of the mall!
choko In April 2019, Sotheby's Hong Kong sold The KAWS Album, a Simpsons and Beatles parody, for fifteen times its estimate.
choko Their early partnership helped launch KAWS into the multi-million dollar auction market.
BETA
choko Bid on giant sculptures to discover how KAWS sparked a multi-million dollar auction boom.
Fun Fact
Dior flower sculpture: The 33-foot-tall KAWS BFF sculpture constructed for the 2018 Dior runway show was made of 70,000 real black and pink roses.
Glossary
auction (noun)
A public sale in which goods or property are sold to the highest bidder. In 2019, his painting sold for a record 14.8 million dollars at Sotheby's in Hong Kong.
A public sale in which goods or property are sold to the highest bidder. In 2019, his painting sold for a record 14.8 million dollars at Sotheby's in Hong Kong.
Quiz
Which iconic animated television family is parodied in KAWS's record-breaking painting The KAWS Album?
Quiz
Which Japanese streetwear pioneer and founder of BAPE commissioned The KAWS Album in 2005?
Quiz
What was the name of the streetwear brand founded by Nigo that frequently collaborated with KAWS?
Quiz
What insect mascot did KAWS redesign with his signature X eyes for his high-fashion collaboration with Dior?
Quiz
Which luxury Parisian fashion house did KAWS collaborate with to create a 33-foot floral sculpture for a runway show?
Quiz
Which Japanese global clothing retailer did KAWS partner with to release highly popular, affordable graphic t-shirts?