Episode Details

He was the star of the 1980s New York art scene, but was Jean-Michel Basquiat a truly great artist or the product of a booming art market? And why did one of his works sell for more than $110 million? Join Alastair and James as they explore the meteoric rise and tragic fall of one of the most distinctive artists of the 1980s.

Artworks in this episode include:

Jean-Michel Basquiat
Untitled, 1982
Acrylic, spray paint and oil stick on canvas, 183,2 × 173 × 4,8 cm
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York.
Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s, Inc. 2025

Jean-Michel Basquiat
Untitled, 1982
Oilstick on paper, 75.9 x 56.5 cm.
Private Collection.
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York.
Photo: Courtesy of Colour Themes.

Jean-Michel Basquiat
Mosquito Coil, 1982
Oilstick, graphite and charcoal on paper, 76.2 x 109.2 cm,
Private Collection.
© Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York.
Photo: Courtesy of Colour Themes.

The exhibition "Basquiat-Headstrong" is on at Louisiana, Denmark between 30 January - 17 May 2026.

To see images of the artworks in this episode go to heni.com/storiesofart or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks

Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox
Additional Research: Catherine Ingram
Producer and Editor: Ben Harding
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:06:19 Middle Class Brooklyn Beginnings
• 00:08:15 Car Accident and Grey's Anatomy
• 00:11:38 Family Breakdown and Teenage Rebellion
• 00:16:42 SAMO: The Birth of a Street Artist
• 00:15:45 New York in Crisis
• 00:24:01 Breakthrough: New York New Wave
• 00:34:15 The Breakthrough Year: 1982
• 00:37:37 Analyzing Untitled, 1982
• 00:44:05 Stardom: From Street to Celebrity
• 00:47:36 Warhol: Mentor, Friend, and Collaborator
• 00:53:45 Drugs and Decline
• 00:57:03 Death and Legacy