Jean-Michel Basquiat’s dramatic life and iconic paintings - which variously feature obsessive scribbling, enigmatic symbols and diagrams, and iconography including skulls, masks, and the artist’s trademark crown make him one of the most famous artists of the 20th century.  The self-taught painter embraced graffiti before committing to a studio practice. He found a mentor and friend Andy Warhol , who helped the young artist navigate the 1980s New York art world. Across his oeuvre, Basquiat drew on his own Caribbean heritage; a convergence of African American, African, and Aztec cultural histories; classical themes; and pop cultural figures including athletes and musicians.