A selection of legendary artist Keith Haring's paintings, drawings and sculptures are going on show in Tsim Sha Tsui's K11 this October
Auction house Phillips is opening an exhibition at K11 Musea on October 9 of works by the late, great American artist and activist Keith Haring, who is famous around the world for his exuberant, cartoon-like drawings of babies, barking dogs, flying saucers and more.
Haring first honed his distinctive style by drawing in chalk on the walls of New York City subway stations, making a name for himself with his graffiti before he started working with more traditional media such as paper and canvas in the early 1980s, when he became the toast of the art world and began being featured in commercial galleries, museums and international biennales.
But Haring never abandoned his street art roots or his commitment to make art available to all. In 1986, he opened the Pop Shop, which sold his art in the form of affordable T-shirts, toys, posters and buttons.
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Much of Haring's work is brightly coloured and appears joyful, but he never shied away from tackling the big topics of his time: the apartheid in South Africa, nuclear war, drug abuse and the HIV-Aids crisis, among others. Haring himself passed away in 1990 from Aids-related complications. He was just 31.
Haring has long been hailed as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century in the US, but now his star is rising in Asia. "We have seen strong demand for street art and pop art in Asia in recent years, and Keith Haring is undoubtedly one of the greatest pop artists of the 20th century. Demand for his work has been rising here," says Jonathan Crockett, Asia chairman of Phillips.
