{"product_id":"power","title":"Pow(ER)","description":"\u003cp\u003e*APC ART is honored to present “Companion ’99 (Pink Variant)” — an exceptionally rare early screen print by KAWS, measuring 17 × 9 inches (20 × 12 inches framed). This hand-pulled silkscreen on wove paper is hand signed “KAWS…’01” in the lower right and hand numbered in graphite pencil from the edition of only 50 in the lower left. Published by OriginalFake in 2001, the work represents one of the earliest and most historically important printed iterations of the artist’s now legendary Companion character.*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*KAWS, born Brian Donnelly, stands as one of the most influential contemporary artists of the modern era. Emerging from the graffiti and street culture of New York in the 1990s, he developed a visual language that merges pop iconography, cartoon aesthetics, and fine art sensibility. His now-iconic characters — including Companion, BFF, and Chum — have become global cultural symbols, bridging the worlds of street art, sculpture, design, fashion, and institutional contemporary art.*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*Over the past two decades, KAWS has achieved an unprecedented level of international recognition. His work has been exhibited in major museums and institutions worldwide, monumental sculptures have appeared across global cities, and his editions have become some of the most sought-after objects in contemporary art collecting.*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*“Companion ’99” occupies a foundational position within the KAWS universe. The Companion character — first introduced in the late 1990s — represents the artist’s reinterpretation of familiar cartoon archetypes through a distinctly contemporary lens. Defined by the skull-like head, crossed-out “XX” eyes, and exaggerated proportions, the figure quickly became the central protagonist of KAWS’s artistic narrative.*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*This early printed example captures the Companion in its most distilled and graphic form. The restrained pink palette, clean contour lines, and minimal composition emphasize the character’s sculptural presence and emotional ambiguity. At once playful and melancholic, the figure reflects the tension between nostalgia and modernity that defines KAWS’s broader practice.*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*Published by OriginalFake — the influential Japanese brand and creative platform founded by KAWS — this edition belongs to a period when the artist’s output was extremely limited and primarily distributed within tightly controlled creative circles. As a result, early prints from this era were produced in remarkably small editions and are rarely encountered on the secondary market.*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*With an edition size of only 50 impressions, “Companion ’99 (Pink Variant)” ranks among the rarest and most difficult KAWS prints to acquire. Examples are most frequently seen in museum collections or featured within official KAWS exhibitions, underscoring the work’s historical importance within the artist’s career.*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*For collectors and institutions alike, early Companion editions represent the origin point of one of the most influential characters in contemporary art — a visual language that has since reshaped global pop culture.*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*APC ART is pleased to offer museum-quality archival framing solutions to ensure the long-term preservation and elegant presentation of this important early work.*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*A museum-level KAWS rarity — historically significant, visually iconic, and among the most difficult early editions to acquire.*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*OFFERED EXCLUSIVELY BY APC ART* \u003cbr\u003e*MIA • ATL • NYC • LA • LONDON • PARIS • TOKYO*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIncluded with the work is the original Beyond the streets certificate of authenticity, hand signed by the artist. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe work is new in the original masterpak as received from beyond the streets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Shepard Fairey","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48791852908698,"sku":null,"price":1000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/8917\/2122\/files\/larger_82a11482-3545-4061-9c47-df98a1125ea4.jpg?v=1784649672","url":"https:\/\/apc-art.com\/products\/power","provider":"APC Gallery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}