Keith Haring

Part of the legendary New York art scene of the 1980s, the American artist and activist Keith Haring (1958-1990) continues to be celebrated for his pop graffiti paintings, murals and screenprints and signature iconography, including crawling babies and barking dogs. Drawing from the vibrant world of street art, Haring coined the phrase “art is for everybody”. By creating art in public spaces and at a range of affordable prices, he ensured his work was as accessible as it was memorable.

Born in 1958 in Reading, Pennsylvania, Haring inherited his love of drawing from his father, a keen cartoonist. As he got older, he decided to pursue a career in graphic art, briefly studying at the Ivy School of Professional Art in Pittsburgh before dropping out when he realised he had little interest in becoming a commercial artist. Instead, he enrolled in the School of Visual Arts in New York and moved to the East Village, where he discovered a burgeoning artistic community developing outside established gallery and museum spaces.