Gauntlet Gallery — Complete KAWS Index
Franken Berry (Black)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Franken Berry (Black) is part of KAWS's Cereal Monsters series, reinterpreting the General Mills strawberry-flavored Frankenstein mascot through his pop-art lens. The mascot is recast with KAWS's crossed-out 'XX' eyes and rendered in his flat, hard-edged graphic style, transforming a nostalgic breakfast-cereal advertising figure into contemporary editioned art. The Black colorway delivers a high-contrast, near-monochrome treatment emphasizing line and form over color. As an accessible screenprint-feel edition, it carries the consumerism critique and cartoon-appropriation strategy at the heart of KAWS's practice while remaining in a comparatively attainable price tier.
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
Franken Berry (Black) matters as part of KAWS's systematic appropriation of consumer-culture mascots, a practice he has pursued since defacing advertisements in his graffiti era. The Monster cereal characters epitomize mid-century advertising's use of cartoon charm to market product, precisely the imagery KAWS recontextualizes by stamping it with his own iconography. Crossing out the mascot's eyes both honors and critiques the nostalgia and commercialism it embodies, lending the work conceptual depth beneath its playful surface. The Cereal Monsters group is conceptually rich yet approachably priced, offering collectors entry into KAWS's Pop-art lineage from Warhol and Lichtenstein without the cost of his flagship works. The Black variant's strong graphic contrast and the set's completist appeal, spanning Count Chocula, Boo Berry, and Frute Brute, sustain demand among buyers assembling the full grouping. It exemplifies how KAWS applies a consistent visual signature across recognizable icons to build coherent, collectible series.
Collector Perspective
Franken Berry (Black) appeals to collectors who enjoy KAWS's appropriation works and cereal-mascot nostalgia, and to newer buyers seeking an accessible point of entry. Its bold near-monochrome graphic reads strongly on a wall and pairs naturally with Boo Berry, Count Chocula, and Frute Brute to form a coordinated set. In a collection it represents the consumerism-and-advertising strand of KAWS's output and rewards completists assembling all four Monster cereal characters. Buyers should verify edition size and authenticity through reputable channels and prioritize pristine condition, since these graphic prints are valued partly on their crisp presentation.
Historical Context
Franken Berry (Black) continues KAWS's career-long appropriation of commercial cartoon characters, a method rooted in his subway and graffiti origins of reworking existing advertising. Targeting the General Mills Monster cereal mascots situates the work within his consumerism-and-advertising lineage, descending from Pop art's preoccupation with branding and mass media. Modest in scale relative to his monumental sculptures, it nonetheless runs on the same conceptual engine. The Cereal Monsters set illustrates how KAWS extends his visual signature across familiar cultural icons to construct coherent, collectible thematic groupings.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned print or object
- Release date
- 2024
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Series
- Cereal Monsters 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 2024. It is grouped under Cereal Monsters 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 is Franken Berry (Black)?
It is part of KAWS's Cereal Monsters series, reworking the General Mills Franken Berry mascot in his flat graphic style with crossed-out eyes, in a high-contrast black colorway.
Which works pair with it?
It pairs directly with Boo Berry and the broader set including Count Chocula and Frute Brute, which collectors often acquire as a complete grouping.
Is it an original or an edition?
These are produced as editioned prints rather than unique works. Specific edition size and authenticity should be confirmed through reputable resale records.
