As part of Rosslyn Hill Chapel's 'Celebrating Black Lives' series, this month we celebrate an American artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) was an influential American artist known for his raw, expressive style that combined street art, Neo-Expressionism, and elements of African and Caribbean cultural symbolism. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Haitian father and Puerto Rican mother, Basquiat showed artistic talent from a young age and was heavily influenced by the cultural diversity of his upbringing.
In the late 1970s, he gained attention as a graffiti artist under the pseudonym SAMO, leaving cryptic and thought-provoking messages on buildings in Manhattan. By the early 1980s, he transitioned to painting on canvas and quickly rose to prominence in the contemporary art scene, becoming one of the youngest artists to exhibit internationally. His work often addressed themes of race, identity, power structures, and social inequality.
Basquiat collaborated with prominent artists like Andy Warhol, blending his unique visual language with Warhol's pop art style. Despite his success, he struggled with fame and personal challenges, including drug addiction. Basquiat died of a heroin overdose in 1988 at the age of 27, leaving behind a significant legacy that continues to influence art and culture worldwide.
“I like kids' work more than work by real artists any day.”
“Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time.”
“I don't listen to what art critics say. I don't know anybody who needs a critic to find out what art is.”
“I cross out words so you will see them more; the fact that they are obscured makes you want to read them.”
Painting by Orla D. from Channing School for Girls
Each month we mark the significant life of a person of colour as a positive statement and a contribution to redressing historical imbalances in our society. More profiles.
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