Gauntlet Gallery — Complete KAWS Index
Chum (2022) — Orange
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Chum (2022) in orange is one of five colorways KAWS released through KAWSONE on August 9, 2022 — alongside black, white, pink, and yellow — to mark twenty years since the original 2002 Chum figure. Chum is the artist's inflated character, its puffy, segmented body borrowed from the Michelin Man and finished with KAWS's skull-and-crossbones head and X eyes. The orange version coats the entire figure in a saturated orange with tonal detailing, the loudest palette in the set. Each figure measures 11.6 by 7.7 by 3.5 inches, retailed for $280, and shipped in a KAWS-branded protective box. Like all KAWSONE open editions, it is unnumbered.
Collector notes: Legacy catalog label: Open Edition; 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
The 2022 Chum drop returned one of KAWS's foundational characters to production for the first time in two decades, following Chum's prominence in the KAWS: WHAT PARTY survey at the Brooklyn Museum in 2021. Within the five-figure set, orange is the statement colorway — the one collectors choose when the shelf already holds greys and blacks. Bright, non-neutral KAWS colorways historically trade thinner but hold attention better, and orange fills that role in the Chum set.
Collector Perspective
Our WorthPoint analysis records 22 sales for the orange Chum — roughly half the volume of the white version — with a median of $317 against $280 retail and a latest sale in October 2025. The range runs $162.56 to $500, and the thinner supply shows in the numbers: orange carries the highest median in our data for the 2022 Chum colorways we track. Boxed, unfaded examples set the top of the range; orange vinyl shows sun-fade readily, so display history matters when evaluating a piece.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned sculpture / object
- Release date
- 2022
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Vinyl Figure.
- Edition details
- Legacy catalog label: Open Edition; 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 2022.
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 does the orange Chum figure depict?
It depicts Chum, KAWS's inflated character modeled on the Michelin Man's segmented body and finished with the artist's skull-and-crossbones head and X eyes, cast entirely in saturated orange. The character has appeared in KAWS's paintings since the late 1990s.
What is the edition size of the orange Chum (2022)?
It is an unnumbered open edition — no production count was published and figures carry no edition numbers. All five 2022 colorways released simultaneously on KAWSONE on August 9, 2022 at $280 each, with supply set by the ordering window.
Is the orange Chum signed?
No. KAWSONE open editions are not individually signed. Authenticity depends on the molded copyright markings and the branded protective box, not a signature.
What should I check before buying an orange Chum?
Beyond the usual counterfeit checks — stamp sharpness, seam quality, box printing — pay attention to color. Orange vinyl fades with sun exposure, and an example displayed in direct light can shift noticeably from the factory tone. Buy from a trusted dealer and ask for photos in neutral lighting.
Is the orange Chum rarer than the other 2022 colorways?
Production counts were never published, but secondary-market volume suggests orange trades in smaller numbers — our data shows 22 recorded sales versus 41 for white. That thinner float is consistent with its slightly higher median price on the secondary market.
