The family of Jean-Michel Basquiat will present an exhibition of his work for the first time. Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure© will open in early Spring 2022 at NYC landmark, the Starrett-Lehigh Building. The exhibition will feature over 200 never before and rarely seen paintings, drawings, multimedia presentations, ephemera, and artifacts to give an intimate and multidimensional portrait of Jean-Michel that can only be told by his family. It was conceived by his sisters Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux, who run The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat along with their stepmother Nora Fitzpatrick.

“We wanted to bring his work and personality forward, in a way only his family can, for people to immerse themselves in,” shares Lisane. “We want this to be a multi-dimensional celebration of Jean-Michel’s life.”

Jean-Michel and his work are touchstones of NYC. The city is not only his birthplace but also the backdrop of his meteoric career, making it the ideal location for this exhibition. Jean-Michel ushered in a golden era of boundary-defying art that continues to inspire youth culture across the world. His contributions to the history of art and his exploration into our multifaceted culture – incorporating music, the Black experience, pop culture, Black American sports figures, literature, and more – will be showcased through immersive environments providing an intimate look into Jean-Michel’s creative life and unique voice that propelled the social and cultural narrative that continues to this day.

“This exhibition showcasing the man behind the icon has been years in the making, from the initial idea in 2017 around the 30th anniversary of Jean-Michel’s passing to now,” Jeanine illustrates. “There’s been many exhibitions of Jean-Michel’s work, but never told from the perspective of the family – Jean-Michel as a child, a man, a son, and a brother. As we were all in lockdown, we said: ‘Maybe now is the right time.’” 

Spotify and Phillips have been announced as the initial participating sponsors of Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure©. The exhibition is being produced by the Basquiat family, The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, and ISG Productions Ltd in collaboration with Superblue on operations, ticketing, digital platforms, and marketing, Girlie Action Media to spearhead global media relations, and RXR Realty to realize the exhibition on the ground floor of the iconic Starrett-Lehigh Building.