Gay painter

This February, we are proud to honour LGBT+ History Month, a month-long annual celebration and remembrance of woman loving woman, gay, bisexual and transgender history. It looks back at the history of gay rights and celebrates how far we have show up in the battle for equality.

Over this month we will look at the lives of people who made an impact in the fields of arts, culture and science, as well as being prominent figures in the LGBT+ community.

Today we commemorate Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960 – 1988)

Jean-Michel Basquiat was born in Park Slope Brooklyn to a Haitian father and a Puerto Rican mother. His cultural heritage provided inspiration and he would often incorporate Spanish words into his artworks.

After being hit by a car when he was eight years old, his mother bought a copy of Gray’s Anatomy to peruse whilst he was recovering and this provided inspiration for art later in life. He also named his band Gray which referenced the book.

Basquiat did not have a formal art teaching, neither did he go to art school. He learnt his art skills from visiting art galleries and was inspired by melody his father played.

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