Passing Through

In Passing Through, KAWS’s signature “Companion” sits down and covers its eyes in embarrassment. KAWS, invented the pose for his first public sculpture, which debuted in Hong Kong’s Harbour City in 2010. “God if I had to sit out here,” he remembers thinking to himself when he first saw the exhibition site, “I would just be mortified if this many people walked past me.” In this way, Passing Through acts as a self-portrait of the artist, as he grapples with worldwide fame. Passing Through has also been exhibited at The Aldrich Museum of Art, the Standard Hotel in New York City, and Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station. In 2013, KAWS reproduced the figure as grey, black, and brown vinyl toys—and another limited edition was released in September 2018.