The Journal

Jean-Michel Basquiat’s short life was, by and large, a frenetic storm of chaotic struggle and majestic creativity. Since his sad death in 1988 - aged just 27 - the reputation, stature, and legacy of this maverick American ‘street’ artist has grown and grown, gathering immense power and strength. Where the art markets are concerned, Basquiat is now an unstoppable hurricane: a genuine icon. As one the most highly valued artists in the world, much of his instantly distinctive work - most of it completed in a dizzying three-year spell between 1981 and 1984 - regularly sells at auction for tens of millions of dollars. It’s unlikely Basquiat could have envisioned phenomenal commercial success - but that’s not to say he lacked ambition, despite his rather humble beginnings. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Haitian father and a Puerto Rican mother, money was tight and life was hard. Nonetheless, Basquiat was a precocious child with real artistic talent emerging early on. His mother nurtured these traits, giving him a copy of Gray's Anatomy at the age of seven  while he spent months recovering from a car accident – an experience that later proved to be a profound visual influence.