It’s Black History Month in North America, so we’re reflecting on the momentous obstacles faced by a community whose struggles persist today. Defying convention, figures like Basquiat rewrote the narrative of not only what it meant to be a professional visual artist, but also a black visual artist. Through his paintbrush, Basquiat sought to protest against the historical and cultural discrimination that attempted to define him. The provocative enfant terrible of the 1980s became a pioneer of Neo-Expressionism, due to his beginnings as a member of graffiti duo, SAMO (same old shit).
In honour of the world-renowned painter, here are five facts you didn’t know about Basquiat.
1. He was extremely intelligent
Daniele Fratini, Jean Michel-Basquiat
Not only did he possess an unparalleled creative outlook, but he was also a child prodigy. Following a car accident at the age of seven, Basquiat was bed-bound for weeks where he found solace in reading. The young artist devoured complex literature like Gray’s Anatomy, where the anatomical illustrations inspired his art and creative process. He was also an avid fan of museums, becoming a junior member of the Brooklyn Museum at the tender age of six, and by the age of eleven he had achieved fluency in French, Spanish and English.