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In the past half-century, few artists have captured the public imagination quite like Jean-Michel Basquiat 鈥 and now the one-of-a-kind artist has inspired a one-of-a-kind exhibition in New York City.

Opened earlier in April at the historic Starrett-Lehigh building in West Chelsea, features more than 200 works and artifacts, nearly 90% of which have never been shown publicly until now. But more than just the array of previously unseen material, the exhibit 鈥 curated by his sisters 鈥 aims to put the artist鈥檚 work in the context of his life as a whole.

Recreation of the Michael Todd VIP Room of NYC鈥檚 iconic Palladium nightclub, for which Basquiat created two paintings. Round red pendant lamps overhead, a bar with high stools and a large red piece on the right, a huge white piece on the left, and low-slung black sofas in the middle
Installation view of <em>Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure</em> at Starrett-Lehigh in New York 漏 Ivane Katamashvili

鈥淥ne narrative we want to clear up is that Jean had a family. He wasn鈥檛 just plopped into whatever story people create for him,鈥 middle sibling Lisane Basquiat the UK鈥檚 Times.

Though it鈥檚 a grand endeavor, set in a sprawling 12,000-sq-ft space designed by architect Sir David Adjaye (responsible for Washington, DC鈥檚 National Museum of African American History and Culture, among others), King Pleasure creates an intimate portrayal of a figure who鈥檚 become larger than life in modern times.

鈥淲e see it as a personal account, and a personal account of Jean-Michel鈥檚 journey and life. We see this as our response to all of the people who reach out to us all the time, asking about Jean-Michel and wanting more of Jean-Michel,鈥 Lisane Basquiat ARTnews.

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 want it to be a scholarly show. We didn鈥檛 want it to be a museum or gallery show. We really wanted it to be an experience,鈥 added her sister, Jeanine Heriveaux. 鈥淥ne that you felt showed Jean-Michel as a man, as a brother, as a son, as a nephew, as a grandson 鈥 that was our main goal and the experience that we wanted you to feel as soon as you stepped inside and are immersed in his lifetime.鈥

Installation view of the Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure exhibit in the Starrett-Lehigh Building in West Chelsea, New York
Installation view of <em>Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure</em> at Starrett-Lehigh in New York 漏 Ivane Katamashvili

Positioning ephemera such as the artist鈥檚 birth announcement and Brooklyn Museum junior membership card alongside family photos, early sketches, and the last piece he ever created, the exhibition is divided into multiple themed 鈥渆nvironments.鈥 Each section is dedicated to a different time period, from his birth in 1960 to his childhood years in Brooklyn to the wild heights of his 鈥80s-era fame to his death from a heroin overdose a few years later, culminating in an examination of Basquiat鈥檚 legacy (and a very well-stocked gift shop).

鈥淭he conventional museum exhibition tends to isolate the artwork from real life and they did just the opposite,鈥 dealer Jeffrey Deitch the New York Times. 鈥淭he life story of Jean-Michel and the family story are totally integrated with the presentation of the artworks, and it gives you such deeper insight into how the work was created, how it was inspired鈥 It鈥檚 not a professional academic presentation, but that鈥檚 what鈥檚 so fresh.鈥

Recreation of a room in Basquiat's childhood home, part of the Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure exhibit
Installation view of <em>Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure</em> at Starrett-Lehigh in New York 漏 Ivane Katamashvili

Soundtracked by Spotify with separate playlists for each environment, the exhibit touches on all aspects of Basquiat鈥檚 life. Globetrotters might find the portrayal of his relationship with travel particularly interesting 鈥 his 1986 passport is even on display.

鈥淭ravel was an integral part of Jean-Michel鈥檚 life. Besides needing to travel for his exhibitions around the world, he also had a love for different cuisines and cultures,鈥 Jeanine Heriveaux wrote in the show's accompany catalog. 鈥淭he two places that I know were life-changing for him were Hawaii and Abidjan, capital of the Ivory Coast in Africa. He loved Hawaii 鈥 Maui in particular. He felt at peace and free there, and the tranquility allowed him the opportunity to reset.鈥

An installation view of the Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure exhibit in the Starrett-Lehigh Building in West Chelsea, New York. A yellow piece hangs on the back wall and to the right, a small stand-alone structure resembling a brownstone building, with a bike parked in front.
Installation view of <em>Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure</em> at Starrett-Lehigh in New York 漏 Ivane Katamashvili

According to a New York Times article shortly after his death, those trips to Hawaii were specifically to cut back on his drug use. 鈥淗e said, 鈥業 gotta get out of New York; I hate it,鈥欌 the artist鈥檚 onetime bandmate Vincent Gallo said in an interview. 鈥溾楬e was going to Hawaii. He said, 鈥楾here's no heroin there, and it's so beautiful you don't even think about it.鈥欌

Taking its name from a Basquiat painting, which in turn took its name from a 1950s jazz vocalist whose first hit was on heavy rotation in the family home, King Pleasure doesn鈥檛 delve much into those darker sides of the artist鈥檚 story. Rather, his family opted for a more holistic approach.

Merchandise on display at the gift shop at Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure
The gift shop at <em>Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure</em> at Starrett-Lehigh in New York 漏 Ivane Katamashvili

鈥淭his really was a labor of love and a walk for us through our own journey with Jean-Michel and our lives as three people coming into the Basquiat family,鈥 Lisane told ARTnews. 鈥淭his was not a handoff to someone else to do. We personally decided every single thing that鈥檚 in here. These are works that haven鈥檛 been seen in decades. We鈥檙e not curators 鈥 we鈥檙e his sisters, we鈥檙e his family, and every work is ours, in our collection.鈥

Though eyebrows have been raised about the exhibition鈥檚 price tag 鈥 adult tickets currently go for $35 on weekdays, $45 on weekends, and $65 to skip the line 鈥 its organizers say the experience is one that鈥檚 completely unique. 鈥淭his is not a commercial project at all,鈥 Lisane on the Wall Street Journal鈥檚 podcast The Journal. 鈥淲e wanted to show people who appreciate his work more of his work. And to give them a perspective that they can't get anywhere else. This is a story that only we can tell.鈥

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