Collection: Kenny Scharf

Kenny Scharf (b. 1958, Los Angeles, CA) is an American painter and multimedia artist celebrated for his exuberant, cartoon-inflected aesthetic and vibrant integration of popular culture into fine art. After earning a BFA from the School of Visual Arts in 1980, Scharf emerged as a central figure in the East Village art scene alongside peers like Keith Haring. His signature "Cosmic Caverns"—immersive, fluorescent environments that doubled as disco parties—captured the playful, rebellious spirit of the era. Scharf’s early shows at Fun Gallery and Tony Shafrazi Gallery led to broader institutional recognition, including his inclusion in the 1985 Whitney Biennial. Drawing from television, sci-fi, and 1960s pop iconography, Scharf’s work remains irreverent yet optimistic, offering “hope, joy, play and optimism,” as critic Demetria Daniels once wrote.

Throughout his career, Scharf has embraced both the art world and mass media, producing everything from swing rides for André Heller’s Luna Luna to the B-52's album art and the animated pilot The Groovenians for Adult Swim. He opened The Scharf Shop in 1994, expanded his practice into digital realms with the “Total Cosmic Cavern” website in the '90s, and in 2020 collaborated with Dior on a fashion collection. Scharf’s works are held in major public collections including MoMA, the Whitney, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. His enduring relevance was recently spotlighted in the 2020 documentary Kenny Scharf: When Worlds Collide, co-directed by his daughter, Malia Scharf.