Born in Brooklyn, New York to a Puerto Rican mother and a Haitian father, Jean-Michel Basquiat was already speaking in three languages before age 11. He started off as a political- poetic graffiti writer in New York City selling punk inspired postcards in the streets of SoHo. He started spray painting his art on the buildings of lower-Manhattan under the signature "SAMO" (pronounced Same-Oh). He quickly evolved his urban style art and tinged it with African artistic structuring and style, writing and collage - In the 1980s, his work became a part of the Neo-expressionist movement.

His success quickly soared - he was also cited to be the first painter of African decent to become an international art star. However, as his fame mounted, he became increasingly isolated and overwhelmed by drug-use and depression. On August 22, 1988, Basquiat died of a heroin overdose in his New York City studio at the age of 27.

"I start a picture and I finish it. I don't think about art while I work. I try to think about life." - Jean-Michel Basquiat