WHAT PARTY Black

WHAT PARTY Black is a vinyl KAWS art toy featuring CHUM in a changed pose. The head is bowed, shoulders lowered and arms hang alongside the segmented body. Rounded forms and cross-shaped eyes remain familiar, but the scene has a different character. Instead of the confident hands-on-hips gesture, the artist presents a figure that seems to pause and become absorbed in thought. Its posture can suggest tiredness, uncertainty or a quiet moment.

The WHAT PARTY release and CHUM

The collectible WHAT PARTY figure was released in 2020. MEDICOM TOY presented five colours: White, Black, Pink, Yellow and Orange. It retains CHUM’s segmented form while changing its gesture. Pose rather than colour distinguishes this work from classic CHUM.

The KAWS: WHAT PARTY exhibition

The exhibition of the same name took place at Brooklyn Museum from 26 February to 5 September 2021. It presented different aspects of KAWS’s work, including drawings, paintings, sculptures and collectible objects. The 2020 figure and the museum exhibition the following year share a title and imagery, but represent different formats within the artist’s practice.

The mood of the work

The Art Gallery of Ontario connects WHAT PARTY with the emotional contradictions of 2020, a period of global crisis and social change. A simple gesture matters here: a rounded cartoon character appears vulnerable. The work does not require a complex explanation to provoke a response. Its mood can be sensed through the tilt of the head and position of the arms, leaving personal interpretations open.

Features of Black

Black emphasises the closed silhouette and highlights on rounded segments. Cross-shaped eyes read as relief, without a separate colour accent. Side lighting reveals the bowed head, lowered arms and divisions of the torso. The dark palette sustains the restrained mood and pairs well with monochrome KAWS works.

Edition details

Artist: KAWS
Name: WHAT PARTY
Character: CHUM
Release year: 2020
Manufacturer: MEDICOM TOY
Colour: Black
Material: vinyl
Catalogue dimensions: 28.7 × 13 × 9.4 cm
Status: In stock

Collecting and gifting

WHAT PARTY Black can join a KAWS collection or be a gift for someone drawn to emotionally expressive works. Beside classic CHUM, the figure offers a comparison of two states of one character. An open shelf lets viewers see the bowed head and entire silhouette. When choosing a colour, refer to photographs of the specific version and consider how its palette will relate to other objects.

Other colours and KAWS works

Compare WHAT PARTY Yellow, WHAT PARTY Pink, WHAT PARTY Orange, WHAT PARTY White, as well as CHUM Black and the KAWS collection at ArtComburo. Learn more on the official KAWS website.