Borimix 2020: Sounding Out Ancestries in Jean-Michel Basquiat

Join us for a conversation with historians Ayana Legros and Yasmin Ramirez to discuss the significance of Jean Michel Basquiat’s articulations of Puerto Rican and Haitian ancestry through his art. Our discussion will also contextualize Jean Micheal Basquiat within the larger history of Haitian and Puerto Rican cultural activism in New York during the 70s and 80s. Basquiat was born in Brooklyn, New York, on December 22, 1960. With a Haitian-American father and a Puerto Rican mother, Basquiat's diverse cultural heritage was one of his many sources of inspiration. Basquiat first attracted attention for his graffiti under the name "SAMO" in New York City. He sold sweatshirts and postcards featuring his artwork on the streets before his painting career took off. He collaborated with Andy Warhol in the mid-1980s, which resulted in a show of their work. Basquiat died on August 12, 1988, in New York City. In his earlier works, Basquiat was known for using a crown motif, which was his way of celebrating Black people as majestic royalty or deeming them as saints. Describing the crown itself in further detail, artist Francesco Clemente posited: "Jean-Michel’s crown has three peaks, for his three royal lineages: the poet, the musician, the great boxing champion. Jean measured his skill against all he deemed strong, without prejudice as to their taste or age."