- Keith Haring (Pennsylvania, United States, 1958-1990)
- Together with Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring is one of the artists representative of the 1980s American art scene. He started his work through the so-called “Subway Drawings”, a series of graffiti art on matte black pieces of paper which were being used to cover up unused advertisement panels in the corridors and hallways of subway stations. His comical drawings was easily understood and had universal appeal, becoming enormously popular among the subway commuters and making Keith Haring famous overnight.
- From 1980 to 1986 he participated in one exhibition after another and gained international acclaim. He was also very active in a variety of media, spanning from an animated billboard illustration in New York’s Time Square to stage design and the opening of a Pop Shop selling Keith Haring goods. He was also involved in creating murals and wall paintings as well as organizing art workshops all over the world. These events frequently were for children, for charity or for a special social cause. He also had exhibitions, a workshop event and a branch of the Pop Shop in Japan.
- He was diagnosed with Aids in 1988 and established the Keith Haring Foundation the following year. Until he died in 1990 at the age of 31 he was actively involved in Aids prevention campaigns through his art .
