Jean-Michel Basquiat

Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was a precocious child, learning to read and write by four and fluent in three languages by 11. He created the character SAMO in high school and began using it as a pseudonym for his graffiti art around Lower Manhattan. By 17, Basquiat had dropped out of school and begun to focus on his art. He quickly rose to fame. His work was soon recognized and celebrated for its graphic poetry, powerful symbolism, and perceptive social commentary. Basquiat is considered a ground-breaking artist of the neo-expressionism art movement. His collaborators included Andy Warhol, Julian Schnabel, and David Salle. He had a short but intense career, lasting only ten years. But, as artist Keith Haring said, "the fact is that he has created enough work to intrigue generations to come. Only now will people begin to understand the magnitude of his contribution." Basquiat passed away in 1988 at the age of 27.

Basquiat's oeuvre is managed by his Estate. His work is collected by esteemed institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art (New York City, USA), the Museum of Modern Art (New York City, USA), the MACBA (Barcelona, Spain), and Fukuoka Museum (Fukuoka, Japan). His work is also in many private collections and auctioned by auction houses Phillips, Sotheby’s, and Christies.