The Story Behind the Doggy Bathroom x Keith Haring Collection

The marriage of art and design are on display with the Doggy Bathroom x Keith Haring special edition. 

“Being a fan since the late 90's when I learned about Haring in art and design school, his art truly defines that "art is in the eye of the beholder”, shares our founder, Alain Courchesne. “The idea came upon me and it could only work with Keith Haring's art because of its highly colourful and geometric nature.” 

As one of the most acclaimed  young artists, filmmakers, and performers of the 1980s, his work lives on posthumously in a wide range of mediums and we are honoured to extend his legacy in a selection of Doggy Bathroom products. 

“New stories can be created and told by taking just a snippet of Haring’s work, as we did, and introducing it with other elements and all of a sudden you have something completely new” explains Courchesne. “I think this very special edition continues to build on Haring's philosophy that art is in fact for everybody and the merging of both art and design makes his pieces accessible to everyone on different levels.”

Who was Keith Haring?

Keith Haring was an American artist and social activist famously known for his illustrative depictions and white chalk drawings that could often be found on the blank poster marquees in New York’s public spaces and subways. Haring’s prodigious career began when he moved to New York in the late 1970s to attend the School of Visual Arts and first encountered graffiti culture. Often found in the same circles as Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, his work featured media and techniques, such as drawing, painting, body art, and graffiti. A friend of Monaco’s Princess Grace, Haring was personally invited to paint on the interior wall at the Princess Grace Maternity Hospital,  titling the piece “the Monte Carlo Mural”. Taking inspiration from pop and hip hop, Haring became close friends with Madonna, who continues to pay tribute to Haring even today. 

What is the Keith Haring Foundation?

The mission of the Keith Haring Foundation is to sustain, expand, and protect the legacy of Keith Haring, his art, and his ideals. The Foundation supports not-for-profit organisations that assist children, as well as organisations involved in education, prevention, and care related to AIDS. Through our Doggy Bathroom special artist edition, Haring’s effervescent artwork brings vitality, brilliance, and a fresh perspective to our storytelling while raising awareness of the Foundation's message.

Doggy Bathroom x Keith Haring Collection

The Doggy Bathroom x Keith Haring Collection features classic Haring patterns, including the iconic barking dog and heart,  to embody the love and friendship shared between people and their pups. Through balancing the elements in red and black, the Doggy Bathroom x Keith Haring collection delivers an everlasting friendship as timeless as art.

“The heart and The Barking Dog had (and have) so many different meanings to everyone who interprets his art and context changes everything,” says Courchesne. “This is the impact of Haring's art which will outlast all our lifetimes and beyond.”

© Keith Haring Foundation Licensed by Artestar, New York