Experience rarely seen works in "Basquiat on Paper" – Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
Experience Jean-Michel Basquiat’s powerful and rarely seen drawings on paper, where the human head takes center stage as a symbol of identity, psyche, and urban energy.
Headstrong – Basquiat on Paper
The exhibition Headstrong – Basquiat on Paper offers a rare and profound insight into the fascinating world of Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988), gathering for the first time a large selection of his works on paper with a focus on the human head – a motif that permeated his entire artistic practice.
Between 1981 and 1983, Basquiat created some of his most iconic drawings, where the head became both a symbol and a stage for the struggle between outward identity and inner psyche. Executed in oil stick on paper, the works appear raw, expressive, and full of energy, drawing on references to African art, mask symbolism, and urban culture.
The exhibition reveals how Basquiat used drawing as an equal and innovative medium – a space in which he experimented freely with form, color, and meaning. His intense expression and unorthodox technique place these works among the 20th century’s most vital contributions to the art of drawing.
Headstrong – Basquiat on Paper is a rare opportunity to experience an artist who managed to give mind and body form with an exceptional rawness and poetic power – and who continues to speak directly to contemporary audiences.