Jean-Michel Basquiat USA, 1960-1988

Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) was a groundbreaking American artist whose work transformed the trajectory of contemporary art in the late 20th century. Born in Brooklyn to a Haitian father and Puerto Rican mother, Basquiat was immersed early in art, literature, and music, influences that would later shape his layered visual language. He first gained attention in the late 1970s under the graffiti moniker SAMO, writing enigmatic phrases across downtown Manhattan before transitioning into painting. By 1980, following his inclusion in the landmark Times Square Show, Basquiat rapidly emerged as a leading figure in the New York art scene. His rise from street artist to internationally exhibited painter remains one of the most significant cultural shifts of the era.

Basquiat’s paintings are defined by expressive figuration, fractured text, anatomical diagrams, and references to jazz, boxing, classical art, and Black history. Recurring motifs such as skulls, crowns, skeletal heads, and crossed-out words form a distinctive visual vocabulary that continues to shape contemporary art discourse. His work addresses themes of race, identity, power, capitalism, and authorship, positioning him as a central voice within Neo-Expressionism. During his lifetime, Basquiat exhibited across the United States, Europe, and Asia, and collaborated with Andy Warhol in a body of work that further expanded his international profile. Major retrospectives at institutions including the Whitney Museum of American Art and Fondation Louis Vuitton have reinforced his enduring art historical importance.

In the global art market, Jean-Michel Basquiat paintings consistently achieve record-setting auction results, most notably the 2017 sale of his 1982 Untitled (Skull) for $110.5 million at Sotheby’s New York. His works are held in major museum collections worldwide, including The Museum of Modern Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, underscoring his lasting institutional significance. While his original canvases remain among the most valuable contemporary artworks in existence, estate-authorized Jean-Michel Basquiat screenprints and limited edition prints have also become an established segment of the market. These editions preserve his most iconic imagery and provide collectors with access to historically important compositions within the broader landscape of contemporary art collecting.