KAWS ENDORSES KEITH HARING EXHIBITION AT BRANT FOUNDATION

## When Icons Celebrate Icons KAWS shared his appreciation for Keith Haring's upcoming exhibition at the Brant Foundation on Instagram, calling the show "incredible" and praising the opportunity to see these works in person. The contemporary art superstar's endorsement carries significant weight, given his own journey from street artist to global phenomenon. KAWS and Haring share remarkable parallels. Both started as street artists influenced by New York City and attended the School of Visual Arts. Contemporary creators like KAWS draw directly from Haring's aesthetic legacy, making this institutional spotlight particularly meaningful. ## The Exhibition That Everyone's Talking About The Keith Haring exhibition opens March 11, 2026 at the Brant Foundation's East Village space, with the show running through May 31, 2026. The exhibition focuses on Haring's formative years of 1980-1983, tracing his meteoric rise from subway drawings to international fame. The show includes nearly 50 artworks, many first exhibited in legendary downtown galleries like FUN and Tony Shafrazi. Visitors will see large-scale painted tarps, chalk drawings made in New York City subways, dancing figures, and even a painted vase. Tickets cost $20, though $15 for East Village residents, with kids 12 and under free. American Express Platinum and Centurion members get early access from February 18-25, before public sales begin February 25. ## The Power of Place The exhibition takes place in the bustling downtown neighborhood where young Haring began his career. Peter Brant bought the building for $27 million in August 2014 after artist Walter De Maria died in 2013. The space occupies a century-old building originally designed as a Consolidated Edison substation that served as De Maria's home and studio from the mid-1980s until his death. Richard Gluckman renovated the former substation to create 16,000 square feet with 7,000 square feet of exhibition space across four floors. This continues the Foundation's commitment to celebrating artists who defined New York's downtown 1980s scene, following major surveys of Jean-Michel Basquiat (2019), Andy Warhol (2023), and Kenny Scharf (2024). ## Haring's Revolutionary Period Rather than featuring Haring's better-known reproduced work, the exhibition focuses on 1980-1983, when he morphed from downtown presence to international force. The show is curated by Dr. Dieter Buchhart and Dr. Anna Karina Hofbauer, who previously curated "Basquiat X Warhol" at the Brant Foundation in 2024. Haring probably created 12,000 subway drawings during this period. His friend photographer Tseng Kwong Chi documented this work, taking more than 22,000 images following Haring through the subway system. Haring was irritated when people removed subway drawings because he made them for New Yorkers, not collectors, though curators are grateful some were preserved. ## The Contemporary Connection Curator Buchhart states that Haring's work fights against ignorance, fear, and silence with a humanist code that transcends time and place. In today's emoji culture, "we are all speaking Haring now". Contemporary artists like KAWS and Mr. Doodle nod to Haring's legacy through stylistic borrowing and shared thematic ground. Haring's blurring of high and low culture boundaries paved the way for today's fusion of street art and fine art in galleries and museums. ## A Legacy That Endures Keith Haring (1958-1990) emerged from New York City's 1980s graffiti subculture, creating animated imagery that became "a widely recognized visual language". He championed important causes of his time, particularly the AIDS crisis, using art to support tireless activism and inspire millions. KAWS's Instagram endorsement highlights how Haring's influence continues across generations. More than three decades after his 1990 death, Haring's visual language, social activism, and radical accessibility continue resonating powerfully, with his influence preserved through retrospectives and actively felt in contemporary art creation.