Kenny Scharf | Vilebrequin Men's Swim Trunks

SUMMER TRIPPING

Curated by JRP|Editions for Vilebrequin, LA-born artist Kenny Scharf -no stranger to beach culture- came up on the New York art scene in the 1980s. Steeped in imagery from 1950s American pop culture, his scenes and characters depict a cartoon-like utopia imbued with vibrant, optimistic colors.

FOR THE COSMIC TRAVELER

Men's swim trunks, beachwear, accessories, and games now reside in Kenny Scharf’s colorful cosmos thanks to two limited-edition prints for Vilebrequin: “Faces in Places” and “Tortues Multico Rainbow”. His Pop-Surrealist universe boldly overlaps with the House’s signature joyful DNA. Applying his figures to textile with the same ease he would a wall or canvas, Scharf invites the wearer to consider their “face value,” unimpeded by elitism or inhibitions.

Kenny Scharf’s designs are licensed by Artestar, New York.

BEACH
IMITATES ART

VIEW THE COLLAB

AN “ART-TO-ART“
WITH KENNY SCHARF

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Dive into
Kenny Scharf's
universe

Two men's swim trunks - Vilebrequin x Kenny Scharf

Tortues Rainbow Multicolor Men's Swim Trunks Print - Kenny Scharf

Kenny Scharf's
biography

Kenny Scharf (American, b.1958) is a painter associated with the « Lowbrow » movement, and best known for works inspired by comic books and pop culture. Born in Los Angeles, CA, he studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, and became part of the East Village art scene during the 1980s. His early work was strongly influenced by Hanna Barbera cartoons, but he gradually began to transition to biomorphic imagery. In 1985, the Whitney Biennial featured Scharf’s first black light installations. At the end of the 1980s, he began a series of « Glob » paintings, which were inspired by Abstract Expressionism and Surrealism. Scharf’s most recent series of paintings depicts swirls of characters inspired by his concern for ecology but imbued by his natural optimism. He has held solo exhibitions at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Monterrey in Mexico, MoMA PS1 in New York, and the Pasadena Museum of Contemporary Art. He lives and works in Los Angeles.