KAWS: HOLIDAY Makes Its First Stop Of 2025 In Thailand

‘KAWS HOLIDAY’ kicks off 2025 with a landmark debut in Bangkok, Thailand—its first stop of the year. In collaboration with longtime partner AllRightsReserved, and presented by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Central Embassy, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, and other key partners, the global art phenomenon brings the beloved ‘COMPANION’ sculpture to Sanam Luang. This monumental installation is part of the Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports Year 2025, marking a powerful fusion of contemporary art, culture, and tourism in the heart of Bangkok.

Before arriving at its final destination, the installation was first tested at a remote site. It now stands at Sanam Luang, Bangkok’s historic ceremonial ground, with the majestic Grand Palace as its backdrop, creating a striking contrast between Thailand’s rich cultural heritage and the bold, contemporary vision of a global artist. The 11-foot-tall inflatable installation was last seen atop the Audemars Piguet headquarters in Switzerland, marking the 12th stop of ‘KAWS: HOLIDAY’ and a unique collaboration with the renowned Swiss watchmaker. Previous stops have included Shanghai’s Huangpu River, Indonesia’s Prambanan Temple, Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour during Art Basel, Marina Bay in Singapore, and even the base of Mount Fuji in Japan.

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Tracing The Global Rise of KAWS’ COMPANION

The COMPANION figure was first introduced as a toy in 1999 by American artist and designer Brian Donnelly in collaboration with Bounty Hunter. Donnelly is more popularly known as KAWS, a name inspired by the tag he used when he was previously known for his graffiti works in New York. The first edition looked like a dystopian Mickey Mouse, with half an external body and the other half the insides of a human body. It had a skull and crossbones for a head and crosses to serve as eyes. This iconic design sold out and marked one of his early successes as a designer and creative. This design became a recurring theme in his works. Acutely aware of the significance of making art in an age of mass production and digital media, where fame tends to be short-lived and often reliant on brand collaborations and partnerships, KAWS continues to pave the way for non-traditional art trajectories.

Ten years after the success of his toy series, an inflatable version of the KAWS’ COMPANION made its debut as a 92-foot inflatable sculpture that floated on its back in Seokchon Lake, titled “Holiday.” He shares, “I was thinking of all the tension in the world, and I wanted to create work that would make people think about relaxing.” The following year, an even larger version appeared in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour during Art Basel Hong Kong, launching the iconic figure into global fame. The underlying subject of his inflatable has been to create a place of rest and quiet contemplation in busy spaces. 

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In between these milestone events, KAWS made a name for himself creating subversive cartoon characters and replicating them into a series of lithographs that would often mock cultural moments. He also went on to appropriate popular cartoon characters from globally known shows like Sesame Street, Snoopy, Smurfs, The Simpsons and many more in his signature style. Though critics argue that KAWS‘ style is repetitive and leans heavily on reinterpreting existing cultural icons, his continued popularity with both the public and the art world reveals how critical acclaim can often feel manufactured, less about innovation and more about marketability and spectacle.

Donnelly has been the subject of debate given his unusual trajectory as an artist who began making work outside of museums and galleries before beginning to show inside of them. After his success at Art Basel, he has shown work at the Aldirch Contemporart Art Museum, Connecticut, the Brooklyn Museum in New York, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, UK and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, to name a few. 

A graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York, he worked as a background painter on animated series on Disney’s 101 Dalmatians and Daria and Doug. In 2019, an Artnet Intelligence Report shared that his average sale price went up from $42,272 to $82,063 and eventually crossed the $40 million mark in total sale value at an auction in 2019. Combined with his Instagram fame, he has been compared to Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol and Keith Haring for their unconventional beginnings. 

This tension between presenting work inside and outside the white cube highlights a deeper divide: while practitioners often value art that complicates and questions, broader audiences tend to gravitate toward work that simplifies and affirms. It’s a reflection of the ongoing disconnect between critical intention and popular reception in the art world.

KAWS’ COMPANION Touches Down in Thailand

His current installation in Thailand marks a shift in the position of the ‘COMPANION,’ an 18-meter-tall inflatable installation that is seen holding a moon with a smaller COMPANION resting on its lap. This new iteration symbolises the passing of knowledge, care and values across generations, suggesting a poignant link between the past, present and future. Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, the Governor of TAT, shares: “We are honoured to welcome ‘KAWS:HOLIDAY’ to the heart of Bangkok at such a culturally meaningful site.” He adds, “It is a wonderful opportunity for both Thais and visitors to experience art in a truly iconic setting.” 

The move comes as part of a larger campaign to shift the focus to sustainable tourism practice in Thailand, which has been a popular destination for backpackers and youth travellers. This campaign is part of a larger effort to reinforce Thailand as a world-class destination for art and culture.  

The KAWS: HOLIDAY Thailand exhibition is open to the public from May 13th to 25th, 2025, at Sanam Luang, Bangkok, from 07.00 A.M.-10.00 P.M. Admission is free.