Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist, born on December 22, 1960, in Brooklyn, New York. Of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent, Basquiat first gained fame as part of the informal graffiti duo SAMO, which left enigmatic epigrams in the Lower East Side of Manhattan during the late 1970s. Transitioning from street art to gallery work in the early 1980s, Basquiat's neo-expressionist paintings quickly captured the art world's attention.
His work is known for its raw, vibrant, and often chaotic visual style, which combined words, symbols, stick figures, and abstract forms. Basquiat's art tackled themes such as wealth versus poverty, integration versus segregation, and inner versus outer experience. He often incorporated references to his heritage and black culture, making powerful social commentary through his art.
Basquiat's meteoric rise was accompanied by friendships with other famous artists, most notably Andy Warhol. Despite his success, Basquiat struggled with fame and drug addiction. His life came to a premature end when he died of a heroin overdose on August 12, 1988, at the age of 27. Despite his brief career, Basquiat's influence on the art world remains profound, and his works continue to influence generations of artists and command critical acclaim.