Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) was a seminal American artist who rose to prominence in the 1980s as a leading figure of the Neo-Expressionist movement. His work is celebrated for its raw, gestural style and its profound exploration of social and political themes, including race, class, and the African American experience.
Born in Brooklyn to a Haitian father and a mother of Puerto Rican descent, Basquiat first gained attention as part of the graffiti duo SAMO, alongside Al Diaz, tagging the walls of Lower Manhattan with enigmatic epigrams. By the early 1980s, he transitioned from the streets to the gallery world, becoming a protégé of Andy Warhol and a global art sensation.
Basquiat’s canvases are characterized by a frantic energy, combining anatomical drawings, historical references, and contemporary pop culture symbols. He often used crowns to elevate his subjects—frequently black athletes and musicians—to the status of royalty or saints. His unique visual language, which blended text and image, challenged the boundaries between high art and street culture. Despite his tragic death at the age of 27, Basquiat’s influence remains immense, with his works now fetching record-breaking prices at auctions and holding a permanent place in the canon of 20th-century art.