Lost Time
by KAWS
Year: 2018
Medium: Screenprint in colors
Size: 32 × 53 1/4 in (81.3 × 135.3 cm)
Edition of 100
A striking example of KAWS’ acclaimed print practice, Lost Time (2018) is a color screenprint measuring 32 × 53¼ inches (81.3 × 135.3 cm), released in a limited edition of 100. The work reflects the artist’s exploration of memory, emotion, and human experience through his instantly recognisable visual vocabulary. With its scarce edition, precise craftsmanship, and established market presence, Lost Time represents a compelling opportunity for collectors seeking significant contemporary works.
Lost Time is a significant work from KAWS’ mature artistic period, reflecting the artist’s continued exploration of memory, emotion, and human connection through his iconic visual language. First presented as part of KAWS’ gallery-based studio practice, the work was not created as a street graffiti piece. While KAWS established his early reputation through public interventions and altered advertisements, Lost Time represents his transition into a more refined fine art practice focused on painting, sculpture, and emotional storytelling.
The artwork explores themes of absence, reflection, and the passage of time. Through KAWS’ recognizable characters and expressive gestures, Lost Time transforms familiar imagery into a meditation on loneliness, nostalgia, and the experiences that shape personal identity. The restrained composition creates a sense of quiet introspection, inviting viewers to connect with the emotional weight behind the simplified forms.
Collectors view Lost Time as an important example of KAWS’ evolution from street artist to internationally recognized contemporary artist. Its limited availability, strong exhibition history, and continued demand from global collectors contribute to its lasting market importance.
At ArtLife Gallery, we see Lost Time as a defining emotional work within KAWS’ career. Connected to Alone Again and Far Far Down, Separated, Gone, and the broader Companion universe, it demonstrates the artist’s ability to transform universal feelings into highly collectible contemporary art with enduring relevance.
KAWS, born Brian Donnelly in Jersey City in 1974, has become one of contemporary art’s most recognisable figures by moving between street art, fine art, fashion, and design. After studying illustration at New York’s School of Visual Arts, he worked in animation while developing a graffiti practice that soon evolved into a distinctive artistic language.
His iconic characters, including Companion, BFF, Chum, and Accomplice, blend cartoon-inspired forms with X-shaped eyes and expressive gestures. Beneath their playful appearance, KAWS explores isolation, friendship, consumer culture, and human connection. These figures have appeared across paintings, sculptures, drawings, vinyl editions, and public works, creating a visual identity that is instantly recognisable.
Collaboration became a defining part of his career. Partnerships with Medicom Toy, Uniqlo, Nike, Dior, Supreme, and other global names helped blur the boundaries between contemporary art, fashion, product design, and popular culture. His Tokyo label, OriginalFake, strengthened this crossover during the 2000s. Even today, KAWS’ approach to collaboration shows how art can move naturally between galleries, retail spaces, and everyday life.
KAWS has exhibited internationally at major museums and institutions, presenting paintings, sculptures, drawings, and collectibles to audiences far beyond the traditional gallery system. His ability to pair accessibility with artistic ambition has made him a defining figure in 21st-century visual culture. This wide reach also helps explain why KAWS has become so famous.
His influence extends into the global art market, where scarcity, edition size, provenance, condition, and cultural significance can affect value. For anyone considering investing in KAWS art, understanding the factors behind his investment market and the prices achieved at auction offers useful context for evaluating his enduring position in contemporary art.
More KAWS Works to Explore
Lost Time
by KAWS
Year: 2018
Medium: Screenprint in colors
Size: 32 × 53 1/4 in (81.3 × 135.3 cm)
Edition of 100
A striking example of KAWS’ acclaimed print practice, Lost Time (2018) is a color screenprint measuring 32 × 53¼ inches (81.3 × 135.3 cm), released in a limited edition of 100. The work reflects the artist’s exploration of memory, emotion, and human experience through his instantly recognisable visual vocabulary. With its scarce edition, precise craftsmanship, and established market presence, Lost Time represents a compelling opportunity for collectors seeking significant contemporary works.
Lost Time is a significant work from KAWS’ mature artistic period, reflecting the artist’s continued exploration of memory, emotion, and human connection through his iconic visual language. First presented as part of KAWS’ gallery-based studio practice, the work was not created as a street graffiti piece. While KAWS established his early reputation through public interventions and altered advertisements, Lost Time represents his transition into a more refined fine art practice focused on painting, sculpture, and emotional storytelling.
The artwork explores themes of absence, reflection, and the passage of time. Through KAWS’ recognizable characters and expressive gestures, Lost Time transforms familiar imagery into a meditation on loneliness, nostalgia, and the experiences that shape personal identity. The restrained composition creates a sense of quiet introspection, inviting viewers to connect with the emotional weight behind the simplified forms.
Collectors view Lost Time as an important example of KAWS’ evolution from street artist to internationally recognized contemporary artist. Its limited availability, strong exhibition history, and continued demand from global collectors contribute to its lasting market importance.
At ArtLife Gallery, we see Lost Time as a defining emotional work within KAWS’ career. Connected to Alone Again and Far Far Down, Separated, Gone, and the broader Companion universe, it demonstrates the artist’s ability to transform universal feelings into highly collectible contemporary art with enduring relevance.
KAWS, born Brian Donnelly in Jersey City in 1974, has become one of contemporary art’s most recognisable figures by moving between street art, fine art, fashion, and design. After studying illustration at New York’s School of Visual Arts, he worked in animation while developing a graffiti practice that soon evolved into a distinctive artistic language.
His iconic characters, including Companion, BFF, Chum, and Accomplice, blend cartoon-inspired forms with X-shaped eyes and expressive gestures. Beneath their playful appearance, KAWS explores isolation, friendship, consumer culture, and human connection. These figures have appeared across paintings, sculptures, drawings, vinyl editions, and public works, creating a visual identity that is instantly recognisable.
Collaboration became a defining part of his career. Partnerships with Medicom Toy, Uniqlo, Nike, Dior, Supreme, and other global names helped blur the boundaries between contemporary art, fashion, product design, and popular culture. His Tokyo label, OriginalFake, strengthened this crossover during the 2000s. Even today, KAWS’ approach to collaboration shows how art can move naturally between galleries, retail spaces, and everyday life.
KAWS has exhibited internationally at major museums and institutions, presenting paintings, sculptures, drawings, and collectibles to audiences far beyond the traditional gallery system. His ability to pair accessibility with artistic ambition has made him a defining figure in 21st-century visual culture. This wide reach also helps explain why KAWS has become so famous.
His influence extends into the global art market, where scarcity, edition size, provenance, condition, and cultural significance can affect value. For anyone considering investing in KAWS art, understanding the factors behind his investment market and the prices achieved at auction offers useful context for evaluating his enduring position in contemporary art.