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Almine Rech

Kenny Scharf Earth

Sep 3 — Oct 9, 2021 | Shanghai
For the safety of our visitors and staff, masks must be worn by all visitors upon entrance and hand sanitizer will be provided at the door and throughout the gallery. Inquire about the exhibition: inquiries@alminerech.com The gallery is open from 11am until 7pm.

Almine Rech Shanghai is pleased to present Earth, Kenny Scharf's third solo exhibition with the gallery, and his first in China.

In the early 1980s, in pursuit of his hero Andy Warhol, Kenny Scharf moved from Los Angeles to New York at age 19. There, Scharf met Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and a group of like-minded artists. Together they brought Pop Art to the streets, put Warhol's "Soup Cans" onto the stage and started a new movement.

Scharf's work resorts to pop culture and the politics of graffiti, but unlike Basquiat or Haring, his graphic motif and forms were inspired by cartoons such as The Flintstones Season (1960) and The Jetsons (1962). Not only did he retain the narrative in the animation, but in many cases, the paintings portray fragments or parts of an animation. In Scharf's fictive imagination, seldomly are there human characters; instead, cartoon animals, plants and unidentified species form a self-contained eco-system. Bright colors like red, yellow, blue, green and purple are combined to create a strong Pop and Surrealistic undertone.

- Lu Mingjun, curator, Young researcher at School of Philosophy, Fudan University 

Press release

  • read or download in English
  • 中文阅读下载

Selected artworks

  • Kenny Scharf,                                      Taitookan, 2021

    Kenny Scharf Taitookan, 2021

    Taitookan (Look Up), 2021
    Oil, acrylic and silkscreen ink on linen with powder coated aluminum frame
    228.6 x 177.8 cm
    90 x 70 in

  • Kenny Scharf,                                      Hwaway, 2021

    Kenny Scharf Hwaway, 2021

    Hwaway, 2021
    Oil, acrylic and silkscreen ink on linen with powder coated aluminum frame
    76.2 x 76.2 cm
    30 x 30 in

  • Kenny Scharf,                                      Shoowangshu, 2021

    Kenny Scharf Shoowangshu, 2021

    Shoowangshu, 2021
    Oil, acrylic and silkscreen ink on linen with powder coated aluminum frame
    182.9 x 152.4 cm
    72 x 60 in

  • Kenny Scharf,                                      Komplex, 2021

    Kenny Scharf Komplex, 2021

    Komplex, 2021
    Oil on linen with powder coated aluminum frame
    177.8 x 228.6 cm
    70 x 90 in

  • Kenny Scharf,                                      Arborifico, 2021

    Kenny Scharf Arborifico, 2021

    Arborifico, 2021
    Oil, acrylic & spray paint on linen with powder coated aluminum frame
    149.9 x 127 cm
    59 x 50 in

  • Kenny Scharf,                                      Vring!, 2021

    Kenny Scharf Vring!, 2021

    Vring!, 2021
    Oil, acrylic & spray paint on linen with powder coated aluminum frame
    152.4 x 121.9 cm
    60 x 48 in

  • Kenny Scharf,                                      Zhi (Solstice), 2021

    Kenny Scharf Zhi (Solstice), 2021

    Zhi (Solstice), 2021
    Oil, acrylic & spray paint on linen with powder coated aluminum frame
    182.9 x 152.4 cm
    72 x 60 in

  • Kenny Scharf,                                      Izm, 2021

    Kenny Scharf Izm, 2021

    Izm, 2021
    Oil, acrylic & spray paint on linen with powder coated aluminum frame
    177.8 x 228.6 cm
    70 x 90 in

  • Kublobliss, 2021

    Kublobliss, 2021

    Kublobliss, 2021
    Oil on linen with powder coated aluminum frame
    121.9 x 152.4 cm
    48 x 60 in
    (KSCH0058)

  • Kenny Scharf,                                      Paintinga, 2021

    Kenny Scharf Paintinga, 2021

    (KSCH0052)

    Kenny SCHARF
    Paintinga, 2021
    Oil & silkscreen ink on linen with powder coated aluminum frame
    76.2 x 76.2 cm
    30 x 30 in

  • Kenny Scharf,                                      Q Blobz, 2021

    Kenny Scharf Q Blobz, 2021

    Q Blobz, 2021
    Oil & acrylic on linen with powder coated aluminum frame
    182.9 x 152.4 cm
    72 x 60 in

  • Kenny Scharf,                                      Faceballz, 2021

    Kenny Scharf Faceballz, 2021

    Faceballz, 2021
    Oil, Acrylic and spray paint on linen with powder coated aluminum frame
    152.4 x 121.9 cm
    60 x 48 in

  • Kenny Scharf,                                      Squirtz, 2021

    Kenny Scharf Squirtz, 2021

    Squirtz, 2013/2021
    Enamel, spray paint and rhinestones on cast fiberglass
    61 x 45.7 x 45.7 cm
    24 x 18 x 18 in
    Edition 5 of 8 plus 2 AP

  • Kenny Scharf,                                      Jingu, 2021

    Kenny Scharf Jingu, 2021

    Jingu, 2021
    Oil & silk screen ink on linen with powder coated aluminum frame
    61 x 61 cm
    24 x 24 in

  • Kenny Scharf,                                      Shameen, 2021

    Kenny Scharf Shameen, 2021

    Shameen, 2021
    Oil, acrylic, spray paint & silkscreen ink on linen with powder coated aluminum frame
    177.8 x 228.6 cm
    70 x 90 in
    (KSCH0068)

  • Kenny Scharf,                                      Pinkitchy, 2021

    Kenny Scharf Pinkitchy, 2021

    Pinkitchy, 2021
    Oil & spray paint on linen with powder coated aluminum frame
    152.4 x 121.9 cm
    60 x 48 in

Videos

  • Kenny Scharf – Earth