Kenny Scharf was born in 1958 in Los Angeles, CA. He currently lives in Los Angeles, CA.

Kenny Scharf is an American painter known for his participation in New York City’s interdisciplinary East Village art scene during the 1980s, alongside Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, Scharf’s do-it-yourself practice spanned painting, sculpture, fashion, video, performance art, and street art. Growing up in post-World War II Southern California, Scharf was fascinated by television and the futuristic promise of modern design. His works often includes pop culture icons, such as the Flintstones and the Jetsons, or caricatures of middle-class Americans in an apocalyptic science fiction setting.

EXHIBITIONS/ SPECIAL PROJECTS:

2021

Kenny Scharf : “Vaxi Nation” Almine Rech Gallery Matignon,Paris Jan-Feb 2021

Kenny Scharf: “Phlatscreenz TVOD” Honor Fraser Gallery Aspen

Kenny Scharf: “Earth” Almine Rech Gallery Shanghai Sept.-Oct. 2021

Group Exhibitions:

“Un hiver a Gstaad Paris, Almine Rech Gallery Turenne Feb.2021

2020
Kenny Scharf : “Dystopian Painting” Almine Rech New York, NY. SEPT – OCT. 2020
Kenny Scharf : “Moodz” Jeffrey Deitch Los Angeles, CA. JULY – OCT. 2020
Group Exhibitions:
“The Shadow” Totah NYC

2019
Kenny Scharf : “Optimistically Melting” Honor Fraser Gallery Los Angeles
Kenny Scharf : “Anxiously Optimistic” Baik Gallery Seoul Republic Of Korea
Kenny Scharf : “Universalis” La Nave Salinas Ibiza, Spain
Kenny Scharf : “Blue Blood” Totah NY. NY.
Kenny Scharf : “Viva Lo Vivo” After & Again Mexico City
Group Exhibitions:
“Beyond The Streets” Brooklyn, New York, NY.
“Fatherhood” Over the Influence Los Angeles, CA.
“Summer of ‘82” Curated by Dan Cameron Johannes Vogt NYC.
“Beyond The Streets” Brooklyn, NYC
“Fatherhood” Over the Influence Los Angeles, CA.
“Summer of ‘82” Curated by Dan Cameron Johannes Vogt NYC.
“Yesterday’s Tomorrowland Today a Xerox Show ” Curated by Ann Magnuson Winslow Garage Los Angeles, CA.
“Happy” NSU Art Museum FL. 10/19 – 7/20
“L.A. on Fire” Curated by Michael Slenske Wilding Cran Gallery Los Angeles, CA.
Special Projects:
Mural at The Bluffs Playa Vista, Ca.
Mural at the City Club Minneapolis, MN.

2018
Kenny Scharf : “Super Pop Universe” Lotte Museum of Art Seoul Korea
Kenny Scharf : “Inner and Outer Space” Leila Heller Gallery Dubai
Kenny Scharf : “Scharftopia” The Far Out World of Kenny Scharf Gustavus College, MN.
Kenny Scharf : “Kenny Scharf” David Klien Gallery Detroit , MI.
Kenny Scharf : “Paradis Perdu” Galerie Enrico Navarra, Paris
Group Exhibitions:
“Paper Trail” Allouche Gallery NY NY
“Polarities” Totah NY NY
“Auto didactic the Juxtapose School” Petersen Automotive Museum LA. CA.
“Warhol & Friends New York in the 80’s” Palazzo Albergati Italy
“Dancing Goddesses” Dio Horia Gallery Panahra Square , Mykonos Greece.
“Under One Roof”: Urban Nation Museum for Urban Contemporary Art, Berlin
Donald Baechler, Ross Bleckner, Enoc Perez & Kenny Scharf Inaugural Show Alloche Benais Athens
“Beyond The Streets” Curated by Roger Gastman Los Angeles, CA.
“Stand Still: A Still Life Show” Allouche Gallery NY NY
Special Projects:
“La Villa UGC” Cannes Mural
“Peanuts Murals” World Wide
Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit Mural
Denmark – Freetown Christiania Mural

2017
Kenny Scharf : “Blox and Bax” Honor Fraser Gallery Los Angeles CA.
Kenny Scharf : “Inner and Outer Space” Jeffrey Deitch New York NY.
Group Exhibitions:
“Bombay Beach Biennale“ Curated by Lily Johnson White Salton Sea, CA .
“Animal Farm” Curated by Sadie Laska Brant Foundation Greenwich , CT.
“Fast Forward” Painting from the 1980’s. Whitney Museum of American Art NY NY.
“Club 57” Films, Performance and Art in the East Village 1978-1983 The Museum of Modern Art NYC .
Special Projects:
Frieze Fair New York : Spotlight Kenny Scharf NYC .
International Church of Cannabis Denver CO .

2016
Kenny Scharf : ” Kenny Scharf ” Nassau County Museum of Art Roslyn Harbor, NY .
Group Exhibitions:
“Around the World in 86 Days” Ludwig Forum Aachen , Aachen Germany
“A Selection of Works of the 80’s” Vito Schnabel Gallery St. Moritz
“Cosmic Connections” David Totah Gallery, NYC
“Piston Head 2 Artist Engage the Automobile” Venus Over Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA .
“Masters: Urban & Street Art” Galerie Laurent Strouk Paris
“The Neon Wilderness Voices from Los Angeles” The Conversation Berlin
“Muse” Galerie Hideout, Paris
“AftermodernisM” Neumann Wolfson Art, Watermilll NY.
“DESIRE” Curated by Diana Widmaier Picasso Gagosian & Deitch Art Basel Miami Beach, FL .
Special Projects:
Hammer Projects Lobby Mural Hammer Museum Los Angeles, CA.

2015
Kenny Scharf : “Born Again” Honor Fraser Gallery Los Angeles, CA.
Kenny Scharf : “SCHOW” Frederic Snitzer Gallery Miami, FL.
Group Exhibitions:
“She Sells Seashells by the Seashore” Eric Firestone Gallery East Hampton, NY.
Special Projects:
Installation The Rose Bar Gramercy Park Hotel, New York, NY.
Cosmic Cavern # 33 Portland Art Museum Portland, OR.
Hammer Projects Lobby Mural Hammer Museum Los Angeles, CA.
“MALAGA” Permanent Mural Spain

2014
Kenny Scharf : “Pace Face” By Pace Prints NYC
Kenny Scharf : “Kenny Scharf ” Colette, Paris
Group Exhibitions:
“Urban Theater” : New York Art in the 1980’s The Modern Art Museum of Ft.Worth, TX.
“Fun and Games” : Montalvo Art Center Saratoga, CA.
“Saying Yes to Everything” : Honor Fraser Gallery Curated by Corrina Peipon Los Angeles, CA.
“LOISADA” : NY’s Lower East Side in the 80’s Addison Gallery Andover, MA.
“Appropriate Disruption” : Jacob Lewis Gallery NYC
Special Projects:
“COSMIGOGO” Textile design for Louis Vuitton

2013
Kenny Scharf : “Kolors” Paul Kasmin Gallery, NY. NY.
Kenny Scharf : “Amerikulture” Eric Firestone Gallery, East Hampton, NY.
Kenny Scharf : “Pop Renaissance” Honor Fraser Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
Group Exhibitions:
“AREA THE EXHIBITION ” Curated by Jeffrey Deitch, Serge Becker, Eric Goode, Jennifer Goode & Glenn O’Brien . The Hole NYC.
“Artist Engage The Automobile” Pistonhead – Art Basel Miami Beach, Fl.
“Calligraffiti” Leila Heller Gallery NY. NY.
“Futures Project” Center for the Living Arts Mobile, Al.
“Contemporary Magic” Tarot Deck Art Project The Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, Fl.
“Virginia MOCA” Virginia Beach, VA.
Special Projects:
“Tonywood” The Wynwood Walls Memorial Garden, Miami, FL.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Whitewall Suite 5000 NY, NY.
“Back To Supersonica” Spray Painted 1960’s Lockeed Jetstar. Pima Air Museum, AZ.
Installation of “Squirtz” and ” Red Scary Guy ” at the Standard Hotel The Highline NY.
“MOBLOBZ” Monumental Mural on the Historic Center for the Living Arts Mobile, Al.
Mural installation Kings County Children’s Hospital Brooklyn, NY.
Mural: Davis Bros . Tires Los Angeles, CA.

2012
Kenny Scharf : “Hodgepodge” The Honor Fraser Gallery Los Angeles, CA.
Group Exhibitions:
“Thank You Andy Warhol” Benrimon Contemporary, NY. NY.
“Times Square Show Revisited” Leubsdorf Gallery Hunter College NY. NY
“Portrait of a Generation” The Hole Gallery NY. NY.
“All For You” Eric Firestone Gallery East Hampton, NY.
Special Projects:
“Kiehl’s” for Children’s Charity
“Jello Bacchanalia” Art Rio, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
“Chunk Pack” Cedars Sinai Children’s Wing , Los Angeles, CA.
Scharf Mural : Salem, MA .
Wynwood Walls , Miami, FL .
Mural: Careyes , Mexico.

2011
“Naturafutura” Paul Kasmin Gallery NY. NY.
Group Exhibitions:
“The Artist Museum” MOCA Los Angeles, CA.
“Art In The Streets” MOCA Los Angeles, CA.
“New York Minute” Garage Center for Contemporary Culture, Moscow.
“Facemaker” Curated by Kathy Grayson Royal-T, Culver City, CA.
“Unfinished Paintings” Contemporary Exhibitions Los Angeles , CA.
“Nose Job” Eric Firestone Gallery East Hampton, NY.
“East Village West” Royal T Lounge Los Angeles, CA.
“From Here to Eternity” Curated by Kenton Parker Scion Installation Space, Culver City, CA.
Special Projects:
“East Village West” Curated with Ann Magnuson, Royal T Lounge Los Angeles, CA.
Miami Marlins Arena Mural Miami, FL.
WeHo Walls: MOCA Public Library Mural West Hollywood, CA.
Arts Big Picture Project Philadelphia, PA.
Brooklyn Children’s Hospital Mural Brooklyn, NY.

2010
Group Exhibitions:
“Pause” Cosmopolitan Hotel Las Vegas, NV.
“Art Shack” Laguna Art Museum Laguna Beach, CA.
“Mutant Pop” Loyal Gallery Malmo, Sweden
Special Projects:
“Bowery Wall” Mural NYC

2009
Kenny Scharf “Barberadise” Honor Fraser Gallery Los Angeles, CA.
Group Exhibitions:
“Wynwood Walls” Outdoor Mural Project produced by Deitch Projects Art Basel Miami, FL.
“Primary Flight” Site – specific Street Level Mural, Art Basel Miami, FL.
“Loveable Like Orphan Kitties and Bastard Children” Green Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
“Just What Are They Saying” Jonathan Ferrara Gallery New Orleans, LA.
“Nude Show” Paul Kasmin Gallery New York, NY.
Special Projects:
“Stages Touring Exhibit” Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris, France.
Custom bike designed for “Lance Armstrong” ridden in the Tour de France

2008
Kenny Scharf: “Superdeluxa” Waddington Gallery, London, UK.
Kenny Scharf : “80’s Back” Seomi & Tuus, Seoul, Korea.
Group Exhibitions:
“Four Friends” Tony Shafrazi Gallery New York, NY.
“Totally Rad” Paul Kasmin Gallery New York, NY.
“American Standard” Design District Miami Beach, FL.
“Juxtapose School” Laguna Art Museum Laguna Beach CA.
“Zero Carat” Jewelry Friedman Benda Gallery New York, NY.

2007
Kenny Scharf: “NEW!” Paul Kasmin Gallery New York, NY.
Group Exhibitions:
“Four Friends” Tony Shafrazi Gallery New York, NY.
“Art Parade” King of Parade Jeffrey Deitch New York, NY.
“Big Secret Cache” Angstrom Gallery Los Angeles, CA.

2006
Kenny Scharf “Astro Cumulo Nibus Uber Express” Raleigh Hotel Art Basel Miami Beach, FL.
Group Exhibitions:
“Surrealism Then and Now” Paul Kasmin Gallery New York, NY.
“Juxtapose Anniversary” Copro Nason Culver City, CA.

2005
Kenny Scharf: “Superpop” Paul Kasmin Gallery New York, NY.
Kenny Scharf: “Outer Limits” Patrick Painter Gallery Santa Monica, CA.
Group Exhibitions:
Enjoy By: Bill Farroux, Venice, CA.

2004
Kenny Scharf: “Groovenian Drawings” Kantor Gallery Los Angeles, CA.
Kenny Scharf: “Schablobz” Kenny Schachter/Rove New York, NY.
Kenny Scharf: “California Grown” Pasadena Museum of California Art Los Angeles, CA.
Kenny Scharf: “Face Value” Kevin Bruk Gallery Miami Beach, FL.
Group Exhibitions:
“East Village USA” New Museum of Contemporary Art New York, NY.
“Beginning Here: 101 Ways” Visual Arts Gallery New York, NY.
“100 Artists See Satan” Grand Central Art Center Santa Ana, CA.
Special Events:
Americans for the Arts Awards Installation, Cipriani’s New York, NY.

2003
Kenny Scharf: “Nightlight” Patrick Painter Gallery Santa Monica, CA.
Kenny Scharf: “Paintings 1990-1997” Cotthem Gallery Brussels, Belgium.
Group Exhibitions:
“Quest” Vincent Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam The Netherlands
“Splat, Boom, Pow” Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, TX.
“Portraits” Heidi Lee Fine Art New York, NY.
“Faces and Figures” The Art Museum at Florida International University Miami, FL.
“Beauty Stripped Bare / LA Black & White” BGH Gallery Santa Monica, CA.

2002
Kenny Scharf: “Muted” Chac Mool Gallery Los Angeles, CA.
Group Exhibitions:
“Made in the USA 1970-2000” Ludwig Galerie Oberhausen, Germany
“Pulcherrimae Strade” Installation Pordenone Italy.
“Juxtapose Anniversary Show” Track 16 Gallery Santa Monica, CA.
Special Events:
“The Groovenians” Animated Special aired on Cartoon Network

2001
Kenny Scharf: “Car Nation” UC Fullerton Grand Central Art Center, Santa Ana, CA.
Kenny Scharf: “Portraits” Tony Schafrazi Gallery New York, NY.
Kenny Scharf: “Hollywood Stars” Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions Los Angeles, CA.
Group Exhibitions:
“Seeing” Interactive Exhibition LACMA LAB Los Angeles, CA.
“Animations” P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center Long Island City, NY.
Special Projects:
Permanent Installation of Four, 30′ totems “Tikitotemoniki” Pearl Arts District Portland, OR.

2000
Kenny Scharf : Gagosian Gallery Beverly Hills, CA.
Kenny Scharf : “Small Paintings & Bronzes” Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York, NY.
Kenny Scharf : “Closet # 18” permanent exhibit Young at Art Children’s Museum, Davie, FL.

1999
“Heads, Small Paintings and Closet # 16” Galerie Hans Mayer Berlin, Germany.
Kenny Scharf : “New Sculpture” PICA-Portland Institute for Contemporary Art Portland, OR.
“Heads and Small Paintings” Galerie Hans Mayer Dusseldorf, Germany.

1998
“Kenny Scharf” Galerie Ramis Barquet Monterrey, Mexico
“Kenny Scharf” McIntosh Gallery Atlanta, GA.
“Kenny Scharf” Kantor Gallery Los Angeles, CA.
“Kenny Scharf” Tony Shafrazi Gallery New York, NY.
Special Projects:
MOCA Mural Project San Diego, CA
“Ultrazoomazipamapopdeluxa” lobby entrance
Designs line of Manikins for Pucci International

1997
Kenny Scharf : “Pop Surrealist” Salvador Dali Museum St. Petersburg, FL.
Kenny Scharf : “When Worlds Collide” curated by Barry
Blinderman, University Galleries Illinois State IL.
Kenny Scharf : “Kenny Scharf” Tony Shafrazi Gallery New York, NY.
Kenny Scharf : “Ultraelektrik” Paintings, Sculpture & Customized
Appliances, Sony Building New York, NY.
Group Exhibitions:
In Your Face Haring, Basquiat & Scharf Leo Malca Fine Art, New York.
Art and Provocation : Images from Rebels Boulder Museum of
Contemporary Art Boulder, Co.

1996
Kenny Scharf : New Work Tony Shafrazi Gallery NY.
Kenny Scharf : El Mundo de Kenny Scharf Museo de Art Contemporaneo de Monterrey, Mexico.
Kenny Scharf : Heads Center for the Fine Arts, Miami.
Kenny Scharf : Galerie 56 Budapest, Hungary.
Group Exhibitions:
New Figuration Tucson Museum of Art Tucson, Az.
Hot Off the Press: New Editions Pace Prints, NY

1995
Kenny Scharf : Early Paintings 1975-78 Yoshi Gallery NY. NY.
Kenny Scharf : Galerie Cotthem-Hedwig Van Impe, Knokke Belgium
Kenny Scharf : Tony Shafrazi Gallery NY. NY.
Kenny Scharf : Scharf-O-Rama 1978-1995 Museum of Art, Ft.Lauderdale Fl.
Group Exhibitions:
Altered and Irrational: Selections from the Permanent Collection, Whitney Museum, NY.
Art, Design and Barbie Liberty Street Gallery, NY.
Recent Acquisitions Bass Museum of Art, Miami Fl.
Art + Architecture,MIAMI, Center for Contemporary Art , Miami.
A New York Time:Selected Drawings from the Eighties Bruce Museum , Greenwich, CT.

1994
Kenny Scharf : Wildlife Tony Shafrazi Gallery NY. NY.

1993
Kenny Scharf : Works on Paper , Galerie Burkhard R Eikelmann, Dusseldorf.
Kenny Scharf : Closet #11, Cafe Click, Dusseldorf
Kenny Scharf : Closet # 10 World Gallery Miami, Fl.
Group Exhibitions:
About Nature Cleveland Center for Contemporary Artr, Cleveland, OH.
Art and Environment National Arts Club, NYC.
Extravagant: The Economy of Elegance Tony Shafrazi Gallery NY, Russisches
Kulturzentrum, Berlin.

1982-83: Ten Years After Tony Shafrazi Gallery, NY.

1992
Kenny Scharf : Edward Totah Gallery
Kenny Scharf : Galeria Rocca 6, Torino, Italy.
Kenny Scharf : Galeria Seno, Milan.
Group Exhibitions:
1492 Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Monterrey, Mexico.
Variations Gitanes Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris.
Objets Trouves Galerie de Jour, Agnes B. Paris.
Balade de l’Amour Halle de l’Uniondes arts Decoratifs, Palais de Louvre, Paris.

1991
Kenny Scharf : Tony Shafrazi Gallery NY.
Kenny Scharf : Studio Trisorio, Naples, Italy.
Kenny Scharf : AC&T Corporation, Tokyo.
Kenny Scharf : Galerie Hans Mayer, Dusseldorf
Kenny Scharf : Akira Ikeda Gallery, Tokyo
Group Exhibitions:
American Art of the ’80’s Palazzo delle Albere, Trento, Italy.
Closet #9 Queens Museum of Art, Flushing NY.
Just What is it That Makes Todays Home So Different,So Appealing Hyde Collection, NY.
The 1980’s: A Selected View from the Permanent Collection, Whitney Museum, NY.

1990
Kenny Scharf : Galerie Beaubourg, Paris.
Group Exhibitions:
The Last Decade: American Artists of the ’80’s Tony Shafrazi Gallery, NY.

1989
Kenny Scharf : Michael Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles.
Group Exhibitions:
Don’t Bungle the Jungle Tony Shafrazi Gallery, NY.
The Studio American Collection Witkacy Theater , Zakopane Poland

1988
Kenny Scharf : Akira Ikeda Gallery, Tokyo.
Group Exhibitions:
Figure a Subject: Revival of Figuration Since 1975 Whitney Museum, NY.
The Weisman Collection California State University, Fullerton Ca. (Traveling Show)

1987
Kenny Scharf : Tony Shafrazi Gallery, NY.
Group Exhibitions:
Comic Iconoclasm Institute of Contemporary Art, London.

1986
Kenny Scharf : Akira Ikeda Gallery, Tokyo.
Group Exhibitions:
An American Renaissance: Painting and Sculpture from 1940 to Present
Museum of Art, Ft.Lauderdale.
Homage to Nicolas A. Moufarrage Gabrielle Bryers Gallery, NY.
Picture From the Inner Mind The PalladiumNY,Solway Gallery
Cincinnati , Cohn Gallery Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

1985
Kenny Scharf : Tony Shafrazi Gallery, NY.
Kenny Scharf : Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zurich.
Group Exhibitions:
Biennial 1984 Whitney Museum of Contemporary Art, NY.
Drawings Leo Castelli Graphics, NY
Eight Artists/Eight Years/SVA School of Visual Arts, NY.
East Village Artists Holly Solomon Gallery NY.
Investigations Institute of Contemporary Art ,University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia.
Sights For Small Eyes Heckscher Museum, Long Island, NY.
Vernacular Abstraction, Wacoal Art Center, Tokyo.
Art in Action Sogetsu Museum ,Tokyo.
Out of the Ooo Cloud Edith C Blum Art Institute,Bard College Annandale on Hudson NY.

1984
Kenny Scharf : Tony Shafrazi Gallery, NY.
Kenny Scharf : Gagosian Gallery, Los Angeles.
Group Exhibitions:
Via New York Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art, Montreal
The Innovative Landscape Holly Solomon Gallery, NY.
New Hand-Painted Dreams: Contemporary Surrealism Barbara Gladstone Gallery, NY.
Arte di Frontiera Galerie d’Arte Moderna Bologna, Italy
Aperto 84 Venice Bienale Venice , Italy.
The Human Condition Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco.
Contemporary Perspectives 1984 Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
New Idioms Robert Fraser Gallery, London.
New Attitudes: Paris/New York Pittsburg Center for the Arts

1983
Kenny Scharf : Tony Shafrazi Gallery, NY.
Kenny Scharf : American Graffiti Gallery, Amsterdam.
Group Exhibitions:
Champions Tony Shafrazi Gallery NY, Fay Gold Gallery Atlanta
Surrealist Show Robert Miller Gallery NY.
Morton G. Neuman Family Collection Kalamazoo Institute of Art,
Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The Comic Art Show Whitney Museum of American Art NY.
Back to the U.S.A. Kuntsmuseum Luzern,Luzern Switzerland.
Tendencias en Nueva York Palacio de Cristal, Madrid.
Clocktower Open Studio Show P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, NY.
Bienalle de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
References Palais de Beaux-Arts, Charleroi, Belgium

1982
Kenny Scharf : Fun Gallery, NY.
Group Exhibitions:
Installation Project Room P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, NY.

1981
Kenny Scharf : National Studio Artists P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center
Kenny Scharf : Customized Appliances Club 57, NY.
Kenny Scharf : The Jetsons Fun Gallery, NY.
Group Exhibitions:
Open Studio Show P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, NY.
The Times Square Show Times Square , New York City
New York, New Wave P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City
Drawing Show Mudd Club, NY.
Beyond Words Mudd Club , NY.

1979
Kenny Scharf : Celebration of the Space Age Club 57, NY.