How to recognize an authentic KAWS

As often happens, with the rise of an artist's success, there are also those who try to take advantage of the situation by selling counterfeit artwork. What should you pay attention to when purchasing a KAWS piece?

We are writing this article because we have come across some websites that, unfortunately, sell counterfeit KAWS artworks and art toys.

We received an email from a collector asking for advice regarding two KAWS art toys purchased through a website at a “bargain” price. After inspecting the two products ourselves, it was easy to determine they were counterfeit. We have, of course, reported the website selling counterfeit KAWS products (not only art toys, unfortunately) to the parties responsible for copyright protection and KAWS market oversight.

Although, we must admit, the two KAWS art toys were of very high quality (even packed like the originals), and many details seemed to match, we couldn't help but notice the following discrepancies:

WEIGHT

Counterfeit art toys generally differ in weight compared to the originals. In this case, there was about a 200-gram difference between the counterfeit KAWS art toy and the original.

HOLOGRAM

Although the counterfeit KAWS had a hologram certifying the authenticity of the product, and despite the quality of the details, it was easy to observe that the hologram on the fake KAWS was larger than the original, with slight discrepancies in the text and colors.

Hologram on authentic KAWS
Photo: Trium Gallery Store

 

Hologram on KAWS fake
Photo: Trium Gallery Store

COLORS

The colors of KAWS' original artworks are unique, and it is likely that no counterfeit product will ever match the same color grading as the original KAWS art toys. This can generally only be determined by comparing an authentic art toy with a counterfeit one or by relying on solid knowledge and experience.

Authentic KAWS Detail
Photo: Trium Gallery Store

Counterfeit KAWS Detail
Photo: Trium Gallery Store

BARCODE

Very often, as in this case, counterfeit KAWS art toys do not have a barcode on the back, including the product name. While not all original KAWS products feature a barcode, it is definitely present on the packaging of the 2016 Companion Flayed sculptures. Therefore, whether a barcode is present depends on the type and dating of the item.

Despite all these discrepancies, we must admit we were very surprised by the quality and attention to detail in the counterfeit product. We can confidently say that it would be difficult for a collector or enthusiast to notice the differences between it and an original product, as the differences can only be detected by comparing the counterfeit with the original, or if one has solid experience.

As with any artwork or form of art with economic value, we always recommend purchasing KAWS art toys only from reputable professionals and trustworthy websites, always being very careful and wary of "too-good-to-be-true deals."