Keith Haring was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1958. In 1978, he moved to New York City and enrolled in the School of Visual Arts. He came to prominence in the early 1980s New York art world through his white chalk drawings on the unused advertising panels in the subway system. Haring created hundreds of these public drawings in rapid rhythmic lines on the black matte paper that covered the panels.

Throughout his career, Haring was committed to making his artwork available to the widest possible audience. In addition to sculptures and drawings, he created murals and prints and designed playgrounds and public works for children's hospitals and orphanages. Haring died of AIDS-related illness in 1990. Though only 31 years old, he had earned the respect of an international audience for his role as an artist and social activist.

Keith Haring's work is collected by museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York City; The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; The Museum of Modern Art, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; The Georges Pompidou Centre, Paris, France; the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Holland; The Museum of Art, Kochi, Japan; and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, Australia.