Basquiat is an American artist, Born in Brooklyn, New York. When he was young, he learned to paint under the encouragement of his mother. He studied at City-as-School, an alternative high school in Manhattan. He was first known by the public as a New York graffiti artist, and later became a successful expressionist artist in the 1980s. In 1983, Basquiat’s work was presented at the Whitney Biennale, and became the youngest artist to represent the United States in a large international contemporary art exhibition.