#kermit oswald

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KEITH HARING CABINET FOR KERMIT OSWALD (1985)

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Keith & Madonna 1985 by Kermit Oswald

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Hidden for 40 Years: Inside the Rarest, Deeply Personal Keith Haring Collection | Sotheby’s

On May 5th 2026 would’ve been Keith Haring’s 68th birthday, a fitting moment to unveil a rare and deeply personal collection of works by Keith Haring — from Kermit Oswald, Haring’s lifelong best friend. Most of the works have been in Oswald’s private collection since Haring gifted them to him in the 1970s and 80s, including one of only six known self-portraits ever painted by Haring, a dresser and a crib Haring painted for Oswald’s first child, which were used by all four of Oswald’s children.

This short documentary traces the shared life of Keith Haring and Kermit Oswald, telling a story that’s never been told before: from kindergarten classrooms in Kutztown to New York’s downtown scene, from framing Haring’s early shows, to the final years of his life. The film reveals Haring not just as an icon, but as a friend whose art was inseparable from the people and community he loved.

These works will be a part of the Now & Contemporary Evening and Contemporary Day Auctions, presented by CELINE, on 14 May and 15 May at the historic Breuer building in New York.