Jean-Michel Basquiat
A defining figure of twentieth-century art, Jean-Michel Basquiat transformed the visual language of the New York streets into a powerful and unmistakable form of painting. Combining expressive mark-making, text, anatomical imagery and recurring symbols, his work challenged established narratives surrounding race, power, identity and cultural history.
Biography
Jean-Michel Basquiat was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1960. Emerging from the creative landscape of downtown Manhattan during the late 1970s, he first attracted attention through the enigmatic messages he created under the name SAMO, alongside fellow artist Al Diaz.
By the early 1980s, Basquiat had moved from street-based interventions into painting and drawing, rapidly establishing himself as a leading figure in the international art world. His compositions combined fragmented language, anatomy, historical references and expressive figures with a highly individual vocabulary of marks and symbols.
His work frequently explored racial inequality, representation, cultural identity, economic power and the overlooked histories of Black figures. Recurring motifs, including crowns, skulls and skeletal forms, became central elements of his visual language.
Basquiat exhibited internationally during his lifetime and collaborated with Andy Warhol during the 1980s. Although his career was cut short by his death in 1988, aged just 27, his influence continues to shape contemporary painting, visual culture and the wider art market.
Available Works
Highlights
- Emerged in late-1970s New York through the SAMO graffiti project with Al Diaz.
- Became a central figure of the Neo-Expressionist movement during the early 1980s.
- Participated in Documenta 7 in Kassel, Germany, in 1982.
- Exhibited in the Whitney Biennial in 1983.
- Collaborated with Andy Warhol, producing a series of paintings during the 1980s.
- His work is held in major museum collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art.
- The Whitney presented a major retrospective of his work beginning in 1992.
References
At Indelible
Jean-Michel Basquiat occupies a significant place in the story of modern and contemporary art, connecting the energy of New York's downtown cultural scene with international painting and printmaking.
Indelible Fine Art currently lists Boxer Rebellion, a framed screen print dated 2018 from an edition of 60, measuring 74 × 100.5 cm.
Contact the gallery for current availability, edition documentation, provenance, condition and additional artwork photography.
Explore Jean-Michel Basquiat at Indelible or contact the gallery for collecting advice and current availability.