Gauntlet Gallery — Complete KAWS Index
Chum (2022) — Yellow
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Chum (Yellow) is a 2022 open edition vinyl figure released through KAWSONE, measuring 11.6 inches tall with a $280 retail price. It is one of five colorways — black, white, pink, orange, and yellow — issued on August 9, 2022 to mark the 20th anniversary of Chum's first vinyl release, a signed 2002 edition of 1,000. The character itself is KAWS's reworking of the Michelin Man: a bloated, segmented figure with the artist's crossbones head and X eyes. The yellow version is finished in a single flat yellow across the whole sculpt and ships in a yellow color-coded KAWS box. As with all KAWSONE open editions, figures are unnumbered and were produced for the release window rather than to a stated cap.
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 Chum reissue set is the clearest example of KAWS treating his own back catalog as canon — reviving a 2002 character at scale, in a spread of colorways, through his own retail channel. Chum also carries more art-historical weight than most vinyl releases: it is appropriation in the direct lineage of his subverted advertising work, a corporate mascot absorbed into his character universe. Yellow, the brightest of the five 2022 colorways, is the one collectors most often pair against the black original for contrast.
Collector Perspective
WorthPoint sold-listing data shows 20 recorded sales for the yellow Chum, with a median of $262.50 — essentially at the $280 retail — across a range of $50 to $399, most recently in October 2025. The $50 low end reflects damaged or loose examples rather than the market for complete pieces; boxed figures cluster near the median. With five colorways splitting demand, no single 2022 Chum has run away in price, so complete packaging and clean paint are what move an example toward the top of the range.
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 KAWS Chum figure depict?
Chum is KAWS's appropriation of the Michelin Man, rebuilt with his skull-and-crossbones head and X-ed out eyes. The inflated, tire-segmented body has appeared in his paintings and sculpture since the late 1990s.
What is the edition size of the 2022 yellow Chum?
There is no published edition size — it is an open edition, unnumbered by design. Production ran for the August 2022 KAWSONE release rather than to a fixed count.
Is the yellow Chum signed?
No. KAWSONE open editions carry molded production markings but are not hand-signed. Only the original 2002 Chum, an edition of 1,000, was issued signed.
How common are fake 2022 Chum figures?
Common enough that provenance matters more than visual inspection. Verify the molded copyright markings and the color-coded box, and buy from a trusted dealer who guarantees authenticity rather than relying on marketplace photos.
Why did KAWS release Chum in 2022?
The release marked 20 years since the first Chum vinyl figure in 2002. KAWS issued it as an open edition in five colorways through KAWSONE on August 9, 2022, making the character accessible beyond the original 1,000-piece signed edition.
