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https://s.si.edu/4pH6cNA
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🎨 ABOUT THE TALK
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s (b. Brooklyn, New York, 1960–1988) explosive visual language, rooted in hip-hop, street culture, diasporic narratives, and fine-art traditions, continues to shape conversations about race, creativity, and recognition in contemporary art. In this thought-provoking panel discussion, four visionary voices come together to explore the cultural ecosystems that influenced Basquiat’s work and how his legacy has transcended time, geography, and genre to make him one of the most recognizable names in art history.
Esteemed art historian Richard J. Powell; poet, novelist, playwright, and composer Ishmael Reed; entrepreneur and Basquiat estate steward Lisane Basquiat; and film director Tamra Davis will reflect on the literary, visual, musical, and social forces that shaped Basquiat’s genius. Together they will examine how his life and work have been interpreted through different cultural lenses, and how these interpretations continue to evolve.
This program is presented in conjunction with the exhibition "Basquiat × Banksy," which highlights two major paintings, one by Jean-Michel Basquiat and the other by Banksy (anonymous; b. near Bristol, England). Placed in dialogue, "Basquiat’s Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump" (1982) and Banksy’s response, "Banksquiat. Boy and Dog in Stop and Search" (2018), reveal throughlines among street art, contemporary art, and the popular imagination.
♿ VISITOR ACCESSIBILITY
If you have questions or a request for access services or accommodations that can improve your experience, please contact
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🎤 ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Richard J. Powell is John Spencer Bassett Distinguished Professor of Art and Art History at Duke University. Along with teaching courses in American art and the arts of the African diaspora, he has written on a range of topics. His forthcoming book, "Colorstruck! Painting, Pigment, Affect" (2026), traces the visual and conceptual pathways of particular colors as strategically employed by selected modern and contemporary painters. Powell has also organized numerous art exhibitions, most notably "Rhapsodies in Black: Art of the Harlem Renaissance" (1997), "To Conserve a Legacy: American Art at Historically Black Colleges and Universities" (1999), "Back to Black: Art, Cinema, and the Racial Imaginary" (2005), and "Archibald Motley: Jazz Age Modernist" (2014). From 2007 until 2010, Powell was editor in chief of The Art Bulletin. Powell received an MFA in printmaking from Howard University and his MPhil and PhD in the history of art from Yale University.
Lisane Basquiat is a dynamic leader, entrepreneur, and life strategist with a diverse background that spans the realms of corporate, artistic, and personal development. With a passion for empowering others to find balance and fulfillment, Lisane founded Shaping Freedom, an organization dedicated to guiding individuals in breaking free from emotional constraints and embracing their inner strength. In addition to her work with Shaping Freedom, Lisane is the owner of Hera Hub Carlsbad, a female-focused coworking space that fosters collaboration, creativity, and connection among women entrepreneurs. Lisane’s artistic heritage runs deep as the co-administrator of the estate of her late brother, renowned artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. As co-curator and co-executive producer of the "Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure" exhibition, Lisane showcases her brother’s groundbreaking work while offering a platform for new generations to explore the impact and importance of artistic expression. Lisane was recognized as the NAWBO San Diego’s 2022 Business Woman of the Year. She has been featured in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Good Morning America, the Tavis Smiley Show, the Karen Hunter Show, Rolling Stone, and more.
Tamra Davis is a film, television, and music video director. Davis began her career making music videos and has to date made over 100 videos spanning a diverse array of artists such as NWA, Sonic Youth, and Bette Midler. Davis has directed nine feature films, and in 2010, Davis completed work on "Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child," a documentary on the painter. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival and was released by PBS. In 2024, she directed a documentary on boy bands for Paramount+ called "Larger Than Life." In addition to her feature work, Davis has directed television shows such as "Grey’s Anatomy," "Ugly Betty," and "Empire." She created the pilot for "High School Musical: The Series," which launched Disney+.
Ishmael Reed is the author of novels, plays, poetry, and nonfiction and has received prizes in every category. The most recent include the 2023 Hurston/Wright Foundation’s North Star Merit Award, the Anisfield-Wolf 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award, and the University of California at Berkeley’s Distinguished Emeritus Awardee for the year 2020. Reed’s most recent novel, "The Terrible Fours," the third in his Terribles series, was published by Baraka Books in June 2021, with "The Terrible Fives" forthcoming from Baraka Books in 2026. Reed’s tenth play, "The Slave Who Loved Caviar," focused on the dynamics of the New York art world, particularly as demonstrated in the relationship between Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, premiered Off-Broadway at Theater for the New City in December 2021 and was published by Archway Editions in 2023. His newest play, "The Amanuensis," will receive a staged reading at San Francisco’s Theater 33 from October 16 to October 19, 2025.
🖼️ ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
"Basquiat × Banksy" marks the first time that artwork by either artist has been presented at the nation’s museum of modern and contemporary art. The exhibition also includes 20 small works on paper and wood, from the collection of Larry Warsh, that Basquiat made between 1979 and 1985, which demonstrate the artist’s deep familiarity with art history, his use of language, and his signature motifs, such as skulls and crowns. The film "Downtown 81" (shot in 1980–1981 and released in 2000), a send-up of the denizens of Manhattan’s ’80s avant-garde that stars Basquiat as a struggling artist named “Jean,” is also on view.
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Credits:Jean-Michel Basquiat (b. Brooklyn, New York, 1960–1988), "Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump," 1982. Acrylic, crayon, and spray paint on canvas. Private collection. © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York
All images by Jean-Michel Basquiat, all likenesses of Jean-Michel Basquiat, and all use of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s name © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York.
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