Urge
A 10-part print series released in 2020, Urge by KAWS features his most famous cross-eyed cartoon character, Companion. Characterised by his inflated skull and crossbones head, crossed-out eyes and Mickey Mouse-like body and gloved hands, Companion has become a prolific figure, recognised worldwide and closely associated with KAWS’ name.
KAWS Urge For sale
Urge Value (5 Years)
Works from the Urge series by KAWS have a strong market value presence, with 118 auction appearances. Top performing works have achieved standout auction results, with peak hammer prices of £70488. Over the past 12 months, average values across the series have ranged from £1191 to £11950. The series shows an average annual growth rate of 29.4%.
Urge Market value
Auction Results
| Artwork | Auction Date | Auction House | Return to Seller | Hammer Price | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Urge (complete set) KAWS Signed Print | 21 Oct 2025 | Phillips New York | £9,350 | £11,000 | £15,000 |
 Urge 1 KAWS Signed Print | 13 Sept 2025 | Lama | £1,403 | £1,650 | £2,250 |
 Urge 6 KAWS Signed Print | 24 May 2025 | SBI Art Auction | £1,913 | £2,250 | £2,600 |
 Urge 2 KAWS Signed Print | 22 May 2025 | Bonhams New York | £1,020 | £1,200 | £1,550 |
 Urge 4 KAWS Signed Print | 22 May 2025 | Bonhams New York | £1,020 | £1,200 | £1,550 |
 Urge 8 KAWS Signed Print | 1 Mar 2025 | Palm Beach Modern Auctions | £2,040 | £2,400 | £3,050 |
 Urge 9 KAWS Signed Print | 3 Dec 2024 | Lama | £2,210 | £2,600 | £3,500 |
 Urge 3 KAWS Signed Print | 10 Oct 2024 | Mallet Japan | £1,828 | £2,150 | £2,500 |
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Meaning & Analysis
A 10 part print series released in 2020, Urge by Kaws features his most famous cross-eyed cartoon character, Companion. The collection is made by the iconic American artist and designer KAWS (born Brian Donnelly). Each print in the collection depicts KAWS’ much loved cartoon character,Companion. Characterised by his inflated skull and crossbones head, crossed out eyes and Mickey Mouse-like body and gloved hands, Companion has become a prolific figure, recognised worldwide and closely associated with KAWS’ name.
KAWS often incorporates Companion into his art and has an impressive cast of figurative characters that he repeatedly draws on in his artistic creations. Companion is one of KAWS’ oldest characters, first appearing in 1999.
Initially drawn in 2D, KAWS’ rise to fame led to the Japanese toy company, Bounty Hunter, commissioning KAWS to produce and sell a vinyl Companion toy. Later, in 2012, Companion was adapted into a balloon for the 2012 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, as part of its "Blue Sky Gallery" of balloons. KAWS has gone on to produce additional sculptures of Companion for exhibitions in Switzerland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Málaga, London and China.
Other notable cartoon characters created by KAWS include Accomplice, Chum and Bendy. Like Companion, these characters are repeated throughout KAWS’ artworks, recurring in different settings or in slightly different iterations. KAWS’ characters are often depicted in a shy and timid pose. As seen in Urge, in which Companion is depicted covering his mouth and nose with his hands, KAWS imbues these characters with a sense of powerlessness.
The Urge collection exemplifies KAWS’ distinctive visual style. KAWS’ prints are instantly recognisable, not only due to his use of original cartoon characters and repeated motifs, such as crossed out eyes, but also because of his emphasis on colour and use of bold gestural lines. KAWS’ style and use of the screen printing technique has meant the artist is often likened to Andy Warhol, the pioneer and father of the Pop Art movement. KAWS’ cross-market appeal and wide-reaching popularity resonates with Warhol’s international fame and his ability to blur the lines between commercial and fine art, as well as ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture.
