Kenny Scharf transforms Los Angeles’ pop culture and street energy into a psychedelic, subversive playground.
Kenny Scharf emerged in the 1980s as a central figure of New York’s East Village art scene, but his roots — and much of his artistic energy — are unmistakably Los Angeles.
A protégé of Andy Warhol and contemporary of Basquiat and Haring, Scharf pioneered a practice that blends graffiti, animation, psychedelia, and environmental critique. With his vibrant, technicolor worlds populated by smiling aliens and cartoon flora, he coined the term Pop Surrealism to define his singular vision. Beneath the playful surface, Scharf warns of ecological destruction and cultural amnesia, wielding humor and fantasy as critical tools.
He currently has a solo show at the Modern Art Museum (MAM) in Shanghai, and his work is included in the collections of MoMA, Guggenheim Museum, Stedelijk Museum, and MOCA Los Angeles.
