Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) emerged from the streets of New York to become one of the most compelling and influential artists of the twentieth century. Beginning with enigmatic graffiti under the name SAMO© in late-1970s Manhattan, he rapidly entered the international art world, developing a raw and unmistakable visual language of crowns, fragmented figures, words, symbols and anatomical references.

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Basquiat’s paintings explore identity, race, power, history and inequality, combining references to jazz, boxing, anatomy and art history with the energy of New York street culture.

 

His celebrated three-pointed crown became one of his most recognizable motifs — a symbol associated with royalty, achievement and the elevation of Black figures within his work.

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His friendship and artistic collaboration with Andy Warhol produced one of the most fascinating encounters of the 1980s New York art scene. Despite a career that lasted barely a decade before his death at just 27, Basquiat created an extraordinary body of work and fundamentally altered the landscape of contemporary art.

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Today, Basquiat stands among the most important and sought-after artists of his generation. His works are held in major international collections, while his exceptional paintings have achieved some of the highest prices ever recorded for an American artist at auction.