KAWS has teamed up with Absolut for a new Artist Edition bottle, bringing his familiar XX motif and CHUM character to one of the brand’s most recognisable forms.
The collaboration is based on a specially commissioned painting by KAWS, with the new bottle carrying the artist’s imagery across the front and an image of the original painting on the reverse.
For KAWS, whose practice has long moved between contemporary art, design and popular culture, the project places his work within Absolut’s decades-long history of artist collaborations.
“I am excited to join the lineage of great artists that have worked with Absolut Vodka over the decades,”
says KAWS.
“Many artists I admire have been commissioned by the brand to create artwork for their iconic ads, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to add my work over the Absolut bottle itself, too.”
That lineage stretches back to Andy Warhol, who created Absolut Warhol in 1985, followed by artists including Keith Haring and hundreds of others. Between 1985 and 2004, more than 550 artists created over 850 works inspired by the Absolut bottle.
The new collaboration brings that history into the present, with KAWS using the bottle itself as both image and object.
His visual language is instantly recognisable: bold graphic forms, cartoon-like characters and the recurring XX motif that has appeared across paintings, sculptures, public installations and collaborations for more than three decades.
KAWS began developing his practice in New Jersey and New York, initially tagging trains and billboards before moving into painting, sculpture and large-scale public works. His work has since been shown internationally at institutions including the Serpentine Gallery, Brooklyn Museum, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and National Gallery of Victoria.
“My goal is to allow art to meet people in unexpected places,”
KAWS adds.
“I hope my bottles will be enjoyed at gatherings around the world.”
The ABSOLUT KAWS Artist Edition bottle (40% ABV) will be available for pre-order beginning Oct 1st, 2026 at Absolut.com and rolling out on shelves of select retailers in the US, available for a limited time while supplies last
