Keith Haring Totem Print, 1989, stands as one of Keith Haring’s most compelling late works — a striking fusion of ancient symbolism and contemporary street culture. Tall, vertical, and powerfully rhythmic, the print echoes the form of traditional Indigenous totems, yet it is unmistakably Haring: vibrant figures, radiant lines, dancing silhouettes, barking dogs, and pulsing hearts are stacked one above the other like a visual hymn to life, movement, and unity.

Created only a year before his passing, Totem carries a profound emotional charge. Haring, fully aware of his mortality amidst the AIDS crisis, turned to universal symbols that transcended language and time. The vertical form suggests ascent — from earth to spirit, from individual to collective, from the human body to the shared pulse of humanity. Each tier of the composition feels alive, as if carved from pure energy: figures stretch, embrace, climb, and radiate light, embodying Haring’s belief that art should uplift, provoke, and connect.

Rendered with crisp lines and bold color fields, the print reflects the visual language Haring refined in subway stations, murals, and gallery walls — a language of immediacy, spontaneity, and compassion. Like his iconic phrases “Life is Beautiful” and “Love is the Answer,” this work is less about narrative than spirit — an offering of joy even in the face of struggle.

Haring’s Totem is both playful and sacred. It recalls the storytelling traditions of totem poles, yet it replaces mythic animals and deities with the icons of modern life — radiant babies, hearts, dogs, and dancing bodies. In doing so, Haring places humanity itself at the center of reverence, celebrating love, movement, and the indestructible connection between people.

Created in 1989, Keith Haring Totem is a color Woodcut print on paper is hand-signed by Keith Haring (Pennsylvania, 1958- New York, 1990) in pencil in the lower right margin and numbered from the edition of 60 in pencil in the lower right margin.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Keith Haring Silence Equals Death, 1989 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 sale of the work).

1. Littmann, Klaus. Keith Haring: Editions on Paper 1982-1990, The Complete Printed Works. Hatje Cantz Publishers: New York, 1993. Keith Haring Totem is listed and illustrated.
2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany our Keith Haring Totem.

About the Framing:
Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Keith Haring Totem is presented in a complementary moulding and optical grade Plexiglas.

HOW DO I BUY A KEITH HARING TOTEM PRINT, 1989?
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