Kenny Scharf American, b. 1958

Kenny Scharf is an American artist born in 1958 in Los Angeles. An iconic figure of the 1980s pop art movement, his colorful and playful style makes him one of the most delightful artists of his generation. Upon arriving in New York in 1978, Scharf befriended Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, with whom he shared a love for street art and popular culture. His early underground exhibitions in East Village clubs brought him to public attention. His canvases teeming with funny little characters, his rounded sculptural forms and his delirious installations draw inspiration from cartoons, science fiction and kitsch imagery. With a biting sense of humor, Kenny Scharf created a whimsical universe populated by mutant creatures and psychedelic caves. His resolutely joyful and provocative work was a major public and institutional success in the 1980s-90s. Exhibited in major museums, he remains a cult figure in contemporary art today thanks to his uninhibited and free-spirited approach.