Who is Basquiat?
Jean-Michel Basquiat was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His mother’s family was from Puerto Rico and his father was from Haiti. Growing up in a multilingual family, Jean-Michel Basquiat spoke English, Spanish, and French fluently. As a child, Basquiat loved to draw and look at art. His mother, Matilde, nurtured her son’s love of art by taking him to museums and making art with him at home. Jean-Michel Basquiat said, “…my mother gave me all the primary things. The art came from her.”
Basquiat Units and Lessons
Basquiat: King Pleasure Unit
Explore lessons to engage middle- and high-school students in looking closely, making connections, and responding to works of art by Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Basquiat: Visual Narrative Lesson
Explore the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat and use sketches and words to create your own visual narrative with text.
Basquiat: Playful Compositions
Explore Jean-Michel Basquiat’s process by layering and combining different art materials to create a composition that includes your favorite character.
Drawing with Daily Sketches
Explore drawing with various prompts to ignite creativity and build drawing skills.
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Studio in a School fosters the creative and intellectual development of New York City youth through quality visual arts programs, directed by arts professionals.