KAWS Artist Level Guidelines

Works by KAWS, specifically the collectibles made by various collaborators, are popular with collectors on Artsy. Due to this mass appeal, there are many pieces that, while authorized by the artist and his studio, were not made by the artist and can therefore be challenging to clearly and accurately represent. These guidelines are meant to help you optimize your KAWS listings for collectors on Artsy, while avoiding common pitfalls that may result in your works being unpublished.

In order for a work to be listed as by KAWS, one of the following must be true:

1. The work was created by KAWS
   
   Example:
   
    
2. The work was created by collaborators, but is authorized by the artist's studio. These items include art merchandise, and should be listed Ephemera or Merchandise. The collaborating manufacturer should be listed in the manufacturer field.
   

Example:

If the item does not fall into either of the above categories, the work should be listed as "After KAWS." Please note that any unauthorized reproductions or unauthorized works that use the imagery of KAWS cannot be listed on Artsy.

Example:

As previously noted, KAWS works with collaborators to create works, typically art merchandise. These works may use the attribution qualifier X to Signify by (ex: KAWS x [email protected]). Listings using this qualifier should still be listed as Ephemera or Merchandise, never as Sculpture. Note: not all collaborations use the X qualifier. If you are unsure, attribute the work directly to KAWS, list the manufacturer in the manufacturer field, and select the appropriate artwork classification type (typically limited edition or unknown edition) and medium type (Ephemera or Merchandise).

Example:

If a work is miscataloged, our catalog operations team will reach out with instructions to amend the listing or request additional information. If the listing is not updated or our team does not receive the information we request, the listing will be unpublished.

After three such cases, we may take action with regards to your account, such as unpublishing works, suspending your use of Buy Now and Make Offer, or suspending or terminating your account. We understand that good faith mistakes may happen, and so we will typically issue a warning before such action, although we reserve the right to take action earlier based on the severity of the misrepresentation.