Untitled (Dr. Winkie Wedding Invitation)

Medium: Screenprint in colors on unstretched canvas
Year: 1988
Image: 5 1/2 x 5 5/8 inches (13.9 x 14.4 cm)
Sheet: 7 3/4 x 7 1/4 inches (19.7 x 18.5 cm)
Edition: 125 (Littmann calls for an edition of 20)
Literature: Littmann p. 92

Signed, dated and numbered in black felt-tip pen

Crafted as a limited-edition screenprint on canvas, this print stands at the intersection of personal celebration and public art gesture, reflecting Haring’s commitment to accessibility, joy, and communal connection. The print was produced for the marriage of Estefania Kong to Lawrence “Dr. Winkie” Lin, held on Sunday, February 21, 1988 in San Francisco, California. The invitation’s verso carried the formal wedding details, naming the couple’s parents and the ceremony’s time and place: Club DV8 on Howard Street, and inviting guests to a creative black-tie reception immediately following the service.

Lawrence “Dr. Winkie” Lin was reportedly a well-liked figure in Haring’s social circle; according to community posts and collector accounts, he ran Club DV8, a downtown San Francisco hub that showcased avant-garde art and provided early exhibition space for Haring’s work: a formative connection that evolved into friendship.

Visually, the composition features two stylized blue figures joined not only at the hands but also, uniquely, at the head, wherein lives a vibrant red heart. Surrounding the pair are Haring’s signature motion lines that suggest rhythm, celebration, and shared vitality. This pairing of conjoined figures is a familiar motif in Haring’s oeuvre, used repeatedly to symbolize unity, cooperation, and interdependence. In the context of a wedding invitation, this imagery becomes literal: two individuals entering a partnership, their figures fused by both movement and emotion.

The heart, central and unmistakable, acts as the emotional core of the work: not merely a shape but an emblem of unified life force. The rhythm lines emanating from the figures echo Haring’s broader lexicon of energy, signaling connection, movement, and communal celebration. Unlike most of Haring’s prints, this one was screenprinted on canvas, a deliberate choice that elevates it beyond a conventional paper invitation and into the realm of collectible art object.

Beyond being a marker of a single wedding, the print stands as evidence of Haring’s engaging with community and celebration, using his visual vocabulary not for protest or pedagogy, but for joy and union. While images of the wedding itself are not widely published, collector displays and framed invitations shared in social communities confirm that these prints were displayed as art objects, not merely mailed cards, signaling the couple’s desire to blend personal event and visual expression.

Auction Results

Rago: 14 February 2024
Estimated: USD 5,000 – 7,000
USD 10,080

KEITH HARING (1958-1990)
Untitled (Dr. Winkie Wedding Invitation on canvas), 1988
Screenprint in colors on canvas
Printed signature and date to lower right and upper left ’88 K. Haring’

Bonhams LA: 3 October 2023
Estimated: USD 5,000 – 7,000
USD 10,240

LA Modern: 7 September 2023
Estimated: USD 6,000 – 8,000
USD 16,380

Wright: 12 July 2023
Estimated: USD 600 – 800
USD 9,450

Phillips London: 8 June 2023
Estimated: GBP 4,000 – 6,000
GBP 6,350 / USD 7,905

KEITH HARING
Untitled (Dr. Winkie Wedding Invitation) (L. p. 92), 1988
Screen-print in colors on unstretched canvas.
Signed, dated and numbered 20/125 in black felt-tip pen (faded)

Bonhams London: 20 October 2022
Estimated: GBP 3,000 – 5,000
GBP 12,112 / USD 13,670