Heritage has been very active in the KAWS market. They’ve sold many of the artist’s collectible toys, a segment of KAWS’s market that was the source of so much value and momentum. Now Heritage’s Leon Benrimon has secured one of the artist’s early bus stop ad works which also happens to have one of the first depictions of KAWS’s Companion figure:

A historic early painting by KAWS, which transformed a New York bus stop into an iconic piece of street art, will lead an important sale of Urban Art held by Heritage Auctions July 22-23 in Chicago. 

Companion – Bus Stop, 2001 (estimate: $300,000-500,000) is from the artist’s early and sought after ad disruption series, in which he augmented or replaced large advertisements with his art. It is one of the artist’s earliest known portrayals of his iconic Companion and only the second painting of its kind offered at public auction of the estimated 5-7 ad replacement disruptions known to exist. Bidding will start at $100,000.

“For an important piece like this, Heritage is sending Companion – Bus Stop on a world-wide tour with special previews and events in New York, Hong Kong, Dallas and Chicago,” said Leon Benrimon, a Director of Modern and Contemporary Art at Heritage. 

The first stop on the painting’s world tour will bring the artwork back to its roots in New York, where it will be exhibited with other highlights from the sale June 17-21 at Heritage’s offices at 445 Park Avenue at 57th Street, with a reception scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m., June 20.