Countless exhibitions have tried to present the life and work of the artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat, since he passed away in 1988. His works have captured the public imagination, and command top dollar on the art markets. Basquiat’s celebrity status is renowned—from his affiliation with Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, to moguls and entrepreneurs such as Jay-Z owning his work—yet little is known about his personal life, including his family.

“Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure©” is an attempt by Jean-Michel’s sisters, Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux, to share a more personal and nuanced perspective on Basquiat’s life and work as an artist. Designed by the architect Sir David Adjaye, the exhibition recreates Jean-Michel’s own childhood in Brooklyn during the 1960s and 1970s. The presentation of unseen works also offers the chance to consider the influence of African art on Basquiat’s visual sensibilities.

AIAC founder-editor, Sean Jacobs, and contributing editor, Drew Thompson, spoke to Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux to learn more about the exhibition’s aims. The conversation touched on Basquiat’s travels to Côte d’Ivoire, his sporting interests, and growing up in Brooklyn’s vibrant Haitian and Puerto Rican communities.