Created in 1990, the White Icons series brings together the most impactful symbols intrinsic to Keith Haring’s distinctive cartoon-esque visual lexicon. Within this series, the artist veers toward a stripped-down portrayal, accentuating the essence of the imagery.

Reinterpreting redemptive imagery and eschewing colors, the White Icons exude a stark contrast between life and death, illumination and obscurity, as well as spirituality and sexuality. The purity of the imagery and its potent symbolism strongly correlates with Haring's encounters during the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s.

The series is marked by minimalism and the use of simplified forms. Evident and immediately arresting, a sequence of uncomplicated and unadulterated forms takes precedence in the White Icons series. The deceptively straightforward visual language serves as a reminder of Haring’s conviction that art should be straightforward and approachable to foster dialogue and unity among people.

Drawing from Haring’s 1990 Icons series consisting of five embossed works centered on symbolism and vibrant hues, the White Icons echo their predecessor. Yet, each print in the White Icons series solely features one symbol devoid of any colors.

Reflective of the creative dynamism prevalent in 1980s street culture that profoundly influenced Haring's artistic journey, the symbols—Radiant Baby, Barking Dog, Angel, X-Man, and Three Eyed Monster—merged in his White Icons series encapsulate the roots of Haring’s iconic Pop-graffiti style. The cartoonish imagery showcased in the series solidified Haring's position as a preeminent artist of his era. Defined by simplicity and the absence of color, the White Icons evoke the tensions of the 1980s and evoke a myriad of historical associations, even as Haring’s paring down of his visual language reaches its pinnacle within this series.