Keith Haring, Free South Africa 2, 1985 continues the powerful narrative established in the first plate of the Free South Africa Suite, further emphasizing the brutality and imbalance of apartheid through Haring’s bold and unmistakable visual language. In this second lithograph, a small white figure is depicted exerting control over a much larger black figure, a stark and provocative symbol of the systemic oppression faced by the black majority under the white minority regime. Radiating lines and graphic energy emanate from the figures, conveying tension, struggle, and the urgent need for liberation.

Keith Haring, Free South Africa Suite, 1985 Series

In 1985, amidst the global outcry against apartheid, Keith Haring created the Free South Africa Suite—a powerful and poignant lithograph series that stands as one of his most politically charged works. Comprising three prints, this suite directly confronts the systemic oppression in South Africa, using Haring’s signature visual language to deliver a message of resistance, urgency, and hope.

Each lithograph in the suite features a stark, black-and-white composition where a diminutive white figure holds a rope or leash attached to the neck of a much larger black figure. The disparity in size symbolizes the demographic imbalance between the white minority and the black majority, highlighting the absurdity and cruelty of the apartheid regime. Radiating lines emanate from the figures, conveying tension, struggle, and the explosive energy of resistance.

The suite was not merely an artistic endeavor but a call to action. Haring distributed approximately 20,000 posters of the third print in New York City in 1986, aiming to mobilize support and raise awareness about the atrocities of apartheid

Through the Free South Africa Suite, Haring transcends the role of the artist as a passive observer, positioning himself as an active participant in the global struggle for justice. The series is a testament to his belief in the transformative power of art and its ability to challenge oppressive systems. It remains a compelling reminder of the importance of standing against injustice and advocating for freedom and equality.

The works in the Suite are:

Keith Haring Free South Africa 1

Keith Haring Free South Africa 2

Keith Haring Free South Africa 3

Created in 1989, this Keith Haring Untitled (Plate 2 from Free South Africa Series), 1985 color lithograph about South African Apartheid on on BFK Rives paper is hand-signed and dated by Keith Haring (Reading, 1958 - New York City, 1990) and numbered from the edition of 60 on recto.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:

Keith Haring Untitled (Plate 2 from Free South Africa Series), 1985 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the final sale of the work).

1. Cantz, Edited by Klaus Littman. Keith Haring: Editions on Paper 1982-1990, The Complete Printed Works. New York: Hatje Cantz Publishers, 1993. Listed and illustrated on pg. 42.
2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.

About the Framing:

Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Keith Haring Untitled (Plate 2 from Free South Africa Series), 1985 presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.