Jean-Michel Basquiat with Madonna in New York circa 1981

Jean-Michel Basquiat (December 22, 1960 – August 12, 1988) was an American artist. He gained popularity first as a graffiti artist in New York City, and then as a successful 1980s-era Neo-expressionist artist. Basquiat's paintings continue to influence modern day artists and command high prices.
Basquiat was born in Brooklyn, New York. His mother, Matilde, was Puerto Rican and his father, Gerard Basquiat is of Haitian origin and a former Haitian Minister of the Interior. Because of his parents' nationalities, Basquiat was fluent in French, Spanish, and English and often read Symbolist poetry, mythology, history and medical texts, particularly Gray's Anatomy^[1] At an early age, Basquiat displayed an aptitude for art and was encouraged by his mother to draw, paint, and to participate in other art-related activities. In 1977, when he was 17, Basquiat and his friend Al Diaz started spray-painting graffiti art on slum buildings in lower Manhattan, adding the infamous signature of "SAMO" or "SAMO shit" (i.e., "same ol' shit").

Self Portrait
Work Date: 1985
Materials: Acrylic, oil and coloured pencil on wood
Size: 91.5 x60.5 inc
Style: Contemporary(ca 1945-present)

Flexible

Jaw Bone of An Ass
Work Date: 1982-2005
Material: Screenprint
Edition/set of: ed.85
Markings: Signed
Size: h:41.5 x w:60 in/ h:105.4 x 152.4 cm
Style: Neo-Expressionism (ca. 1980)