A collection of unseen Keith Haring works, including a crib he painted for his best friend's unborn child, is going on display at Sotheby's New York before being auctioned in May 2025. The collection belongs to Kermit Oswald, Haring's childhood friend, and features 20 works, with a 1985 self-portrait estimated at $3m-$5m and the crib valued at $250,000-$350,000. Oswald shares intimate stories of their friendship, from childhood pranks in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, to their move to New York to study at the School of Visual Arts, and Haring's later collaboration with William Burroughs.
This exhibition matters because it reveals a deeply personal side of Keith Haring, one of the most iconic gay artists of the 20th century, through works never before seen publicly. The auction provides a rare opportunity for collectors to acquire pieces that document Haring's artistic evolution and his enduring bond with a straight friend from his pre-fame days. The story also highlights Haring's role as an AIDS activist and his practice of embedding news headlines into his untitled works, offering fresh insight into his creative process.