Gauntlet Gallery — Complete KAWS Index
Small Lie (Black)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Small Lie is one of KAWS's most significant Pinocchio-derived works, depicting a tall, standing figure with the elongated forms and posture echoing the lying puppet, hands at its sides and crossed-out X eyes facing forward. This black version renders the figure in KAWS's clean, monochrome finish, emphasizing its silhouette and scale. The title plays on Pinocchio's growing nose and the moral weight of deceit, recasting a children's-story character as a quietly melancholic standing figure. As an editioned object, Small Lie translates the imposing scale of KAWS's larger Small Lie sculpture into a collectible format with strong sculptural presence.
Collector notes: Edition label was not stated, and total quantity was not documented in the saved record. Edition-specific signature, numbering, and stamp details were not stated in the saved release record. Verify signing and numbering against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
Small Lie is among KAWS's marquee appropriations of the Pinocchio character, a work that the artist developed at monumental scale, including towering wooden versions exhibited internationally. The image fuses cartoon appropriation with a meditation on honesty, innocence, and moral failing, themes that give the friendly form an undertow of seriousness. Its standing, frontal posture and the loaded title make it one of his more conceptually pointed character works, distinct from the seated Companion poses. For collectors, owning a Small Lie figure connects to one of KAWS's celebrated large-scale projects and to his enduring engagement with beloved commercial characters. The black colorway, austere and graphic, heightens the figure's sculptural impact. As a recognizable and conceptually rich KAWS subject, Small Lie occupies an important place in his catalog and remains a desirable acquisition for collectors building around his appropriation and character-based work.
Collector Perspective
Small Lie appeals to collectors who value KAWS's character appropriations and want a standing figure with strong vertical presence, a different silhouette from the ubiquitous seated Companion. The black colorway is bold and graphic, reading as a refined, almost minimalist display object that anchors a shelf or vitrine. Within a collection, it adds conceptual depth through its Pinocchio reference and its theme of deceit, complementing the more straightforwardly cute or melancholic Companion pieces. Buyers often connect it to KAWS's monumental Small Lie sculptures, valuing the link to a major exhibited project. Its combination of recognizable subject, conceptual weight, and clean form makes it a meaningful piece for collectors seeking range beyond the standard Companion.
Historical Context
Small Lie belongs to KAWS's mature phase of cartoon appropriation and monumental sculpture, when he developed Pinocchio-derived figures at towering scale for international exhibitions, including large carved-wood versions. The editioned figures distill those imposing works into collectible form. The piece reflects how KAWS repeatedly returned to famous characters, recasting them through his crossed-out vocabulary and investing them with adult emotional and moral content. It sits at the intersection of his appropriation practice and his expansion into large-scale, globally toured sculpture, a defining combination of his most ambitious period.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned print or object
- Release date
- 2017
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Series
- Cartoon Appropriation Series
- Medium and materials
- Medium and materials were not documented in the saved record.
- Edition details
- Edition label was not stated, and total quantity was not documented in the saved record.
- Signature and marks
- Edition-specific signature, numbering, and stamp details were not stated in the saved release record. Verify signing and numbering against a documented example of this edition.
Documented History and Meaning
History note: This page treats KAWS's broader career as background context, not proof that this specific edition belongs to any single exhibition or event. Release-level facts here come from a saved secondary catalog record.
Meaning / interpretation: No per-work artist statement is recorded for this edition. Any thematic reading should be treated as interpretation of the imagery, not a documented statement of the artist's intent. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2017. It is grouped under Cartoon Appropriation Series in the saved record.
Authentication, Presentation and Provenance
- Original presentation
- Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.
- Authentication note
- Compare the support, dimensions, edition number, and signature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet Gallery does not authenticate works purchased from third parties.
- Provenance note
- Edition origin is attributed in the saved record to the release source named in the saved record. That does not establish the ownership history of an individual copy: retain the original invoice, reseller or gallery paperwork, labels, correspondence, and condition photographs.
Sources and Verification
Verification status: Secondary catalog snapshot; artist-level context added
- KAWSONE — official site — KAWS studio · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Official artist site; career context, not an individual-edition record.
- KAWS — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
- KAWS (Q3194367) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.
Market Context
- Estimated value. The median of recorded public sale prices for this piece, matched by title and colorway. We use the median (not the average) because it resists outliers.
- Min / max sale. The lowest and highest individual recorded sale prices; the range shows dispersion, not a guaranteed band.
- Recorded comps. The number of independent comparable sales; reliability rises with sample size (1–2 sales are indicative only).
- Liquidity & sales volume. Our liquidity rating reflects sales velocity — the number of recorded comparable sales and how recent the latest sale is. More frequent and more recent sales rate as more liquid (Highly Liquid → Liquid → Moderate → Thin → Very Thin); a piece with no recorded public sales is Extremely Rare.
- Estimate confidence. A traffic-light read on how well the data supports the estimate: green high, yellow medium, red low / indicative.
- Data source & currency. Compiled from recorded public marketplace and auction sales of US$200 or more, in US dollars, as of the latest recorded sale shown. Coverage is not exhaustive.
- Not financial or investment advice. For collector reference only — not an appraisal, offer, or guarantee of resale value. Art is volatile and illiquid; do your own research. Use is subject to our Terms & Conditions.
FAQ
What character inspired Small Lie?
It derives from Pinocchio, with the title alluding to the growing-nose lie motif and reworking the puppet through KAWS's crossed-out visual language.
How does the black version look?
The monochrome black finish emphasizes the figure's standing silhouette and gives it a bold, graphic, almost minimalist presence.
Is it related to a larger sculpture?
KAWS developed Small Lie at monumental scale, including towering wooden versions; the editioned figures translate that imposing work into collectible form.
Why is it conceptually notable?
It pairs a beloved cartoon character with themes of deceit and lost innocence, giving the friendly form a serious undertow.
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