Basquiat: Figures, Signs, Symbols brings together ten works by Jean-Michel Basquiat at Pérez Art Museum Miami, uniting some of his most recognized paintings under one roof for the first time.
The exhibition runs from June 25, 2026 through June 6, 2027, opening as Miami welcomes a global audience for the FIFA World Cup, and draws on the collection of Kenneth C. Griffin with the support of Griffin Catalyst.
Across nine paintings and one sculpture, the show concentrates on the themes he returned to throughout his work: portraiture and the figure, script and language, and the way he amplified color, form, and composition. Highlights include Untitled (1982), tied to his long engagement with the human head; In Italian (1983); Pez Dispenser (1984); and Untitled (Tenant) (1982). A video of Jean-Michel speaking about his work gives visitors a direct window into his voice.
The exhibition also opens onto the questions of race, class, religion, and world history that ran through his work. Born in Brooklyn to a Haitian father and a Puerto Rican mother, Jean-Michel carried a Caribbean perspective that connects closely to Miami and its diasporic communities.
Basquiat: Figures, Signs, Symbols is co-curated by Sandra and Tony Tamer Director Franklin Sirmans and Kenneth C. Griffin Collection Curator Dr. Megan Kincaid. It builds on PAMM's 2016 presentation of Jean-Michel's notebooks and smaller works.
Support for the exhibition is provided by Kenneth C. Griffin and Griffin Catalyst.