posted 6th May 2023
Kenny Scharf is a painter and installation artist from Los Angeles best known for work inspired by comic books and pop culture. He studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and became part of the East Village art scene during the 1980s.
Describing himself as a "pop surrealist," Scharf uses a range of techniques, media and allusions to create hallucinatory worlds filled with floating donuts, cartoon characters and bright-coloured, often-anthropomorphic blobs. A fun-filled and dynamic burst of colour and energy radiate from his works. However, these saturated, seemingly playful shapes have sharp teeth that lurk beneath, reflecting the dual nature of our modern society. Kenny Scharf's paintings are always reflective of the artist's unique, self-generated, visual universe, drawing from ideas and experiences extracted from the surrounding world. He combines fine art with pop culture presenting the traditions of Pop Art, Abstract Expressionism, Surrealism, comic books and Street Art.
Scharf has exhibited widely, including the Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, Biennale de Sao Paolo, Brazil and Queens Museum of Art, New York. His colourful piece named "OMG, WTF!" estimated to sell at Sotheby's for £20,000 - £30,000 but realised a notable £81,900.
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