“

I don't think about art when I'm working. I think about life.

— JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT

Born in Brooklyn in 1960, Jean-Michel Basquiat first gained attention in the late 1970s through the enigmatic “SAMO©” graffiti he created throughout Lower Manhattan. Drawing from his Haitian and Puerto Rican heritage, as well as influences ranging from jazz and literature to anatomy and art history, Basquiat quickly developed a bold visual language that set him apart from his contemporaries.

The year 1981 marked Basquiat’s breakthrough. At just twenty years old, he was featured in the landmark exhibition New York/New Wave at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, where his work attracted the attention of leading collectors, critics, and galleries. That same year, art critic René Ricard published The Radiant Child, celebrating Basquiat as one of the most important emerging artists of his generation.

By the end of 1981, Basquiat had become one of the most sought-after young artists in the contemporary art world. The paintings he created during this pivotal year are now regarded among his greatest achievements, laying the foundation for an extraordinary career and securing his legacy as one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century.