We still find it tough to believe that it’s 36 years since the world lost KEITH HARING . Aged just 31, Haring died of AIDS related complications at the height of the epidemic.  At his memorial service on May 4, 1990, at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, there were over 1,000 people in attendance.  He will always remain the quintessential NY queer artist of the time, quite rightly, his whole body of work is just as powerful and memorable today as it ever was.

Now, the Brant Foundation in NY is about to mount a new retrospective revisiting Haring’s formative years of 1980–1983, and the exhibition traces his meteoric rise from the subways of New York to international fame. Opening to the public on March 11, 2026, the exhibition will be on view at the Foundation’s East Village space in the bustling downtown neighborhood where a young Haring began his career.

The Brant Foundation’s founder, Peter M. Brant. “Haring was a champion for important causes of his time, particularly the AIDS crisis. He used his art to support his tireless activism and advocate for change, inspiring millions with his distinct style.” 

Haring took inspiration from the everyday urban spaces he inhabited. From his spontaneous, early-career chalk drawings in subway stations to his vibrant, pop-inspired works that addressed social issues ranging from the AIDS epidemic to the drug crisis, Haring shepherded a body of work that was both visually dynamic and socially engaged.

The exhibition, curated by Dr. Dieter Buchhart and Dr. Anna Karina Hofbauer, features a selection of landmark masterworks that defined Haring’s early career. Included are works from the artist’s 1982 exhibition at Tony Shafrazi Gallery, where Haring’s legendary Blacklight Room immersed audiences in glowing, ephemeral color, as well as from the FUN Gallery show of 1983, a pioneering venue on the Lower East Side that championed the fusion of street art and gallery culture.