JEAN MICHEL BASQUIAT

Jean-Michel Basquiat (b. 1960, New York – d. 1988, New York) is widely considered to be one of the most important artists of the late twentieth century. As a young adult, Basquiat experimented with street art and became well known by the moniker SAMO in the downtown art scene in New York City. In 1981, he was included in a groundbreaking exhibition at MoMA’s PS1 outpost in Long Island City, titled “New York/New Wave.” Throughout his brief and glamorous career, the artist explored issues of black identity in America, colonization and consumerism.