GONE Black

GONE Black is a collectible vinyl KAWS composition in which a black COMPANION holds a black BFF. The characters are united by a single gesture rather than simply standing together. COMPANION stands and supports BFF, whose horizontal pose suggests vulnerability. Familiar cross-shaped eyes become part of a quiet, emotional design.

GONE and the Melbourne exhibition

GONE is connected with KAWS: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne in 2019. A seven-metre bronze GONE sculpture was created for the exhibition. The museum compared the pose to the Pietà and emphasised grief and compassion. The collectible vinyl version brings the image into a domestic scale.

GONE was released in 2019. MEDICOM TOY documents three colour versions, BROWN, GREY and BLACK, and their Japanese sale from 5 October. ArtComburo’s names Brown / Blue and Pink / Grey specify both characters’ colours.

Features of GONE Black

One colour unites the characters in Black, shifting attention to surfaces and silhouette. COMPANION’s smooth forms sit beside BFF’s wavy texture. Pale eyes and BFF’s pink nose remain small accents; light reveals the embossed crosses on COMPANION’s head. Side views show how one character’s arms support the other, with a hanging palm continuing the vertical line.

BFF’s texture resembles thick strands, but it is sculpted vinyl rather than textile. COMPANION has a rounded head, white gloves or their dark counterpart depending on colour, shorts and large boots. The contrast between characters makes the composition legible without knowing the full history of KAWS’s figures.

Edition details

Artist: KAWS — Brian Donnelly.
Name: GONE Black.
Series: GONE.
Colour version: Black .
Release year: 2019.
Material: vinyl.
Manufacturer: MEDICOM TOY.
Catalogue dimensions: 35.6 × 17.8 × 17.8 cm.

Collecting and gifting

KAWS uses COMPANION and BFF in sculptures and collectible objects, changing their poses and interactions. GONE centres on the connection between two characters, as one becomes support for the other. This subject distinguishes it from a standalone COMPANION or BFF.

The composition can complement a contemporary-art collection or become a gift for someone who appreciates KAWS’s emotionally expressive work. A shelf or console with space around the characters will allow the silhouette to remain visible: horizontal BFF and the hanging arm need room.

Compare GONE Brown Blue and GONE Pink Grey, or explore the KAWS collection at ArtComburo. Discover the artist’s projects on the official KAWS website.