Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure

Exhibition at the Starrett-Lehigh Building, New York, 9 April 2022 - 1 January 2023

This reference book tells the story of Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) from the intimate perspective of his family, interweaving his artistic activities with his personal life, influences and the times in which he lived.

This catalogue of the exhibition organized by Basquiat's family features over 200 never or rarely seen paintings, drawings, ephemera and artifacts from his estate. The artist's contributions to art history and his exploration of our multifaceted culture - incorporating music, black experience, pop culture, African American sports figures, literature, and other sources - are presented alongside personal recollections and first-hand accounts that provide a unique glimpse into Basquiat's creative life and his singular voice that propelled the social and cultural narrative that continues today.

Structured around the key periods of his life, from his childhood and formative years to his untimely death and meteoric rise in the art world and beyond, the book features in-depth interviews with surviving family members.