BASQUIAT'S SECRET HEAD DRAWINGS HIT DENMARK MUSEUM — Quick Facts
BASQUIAT'S SECRET HEAD DRAWINGS HIT DENMARK MUSEUM. First comprehensive exhibition of Basquiat's head drawings opens at Denmark's Louisiana Museum. Features rar.
Key Data Points
- First comprehensive exhibition of Basquiat's head drawings opens at Denmark's Louisiana Museum
- Features rarely seen works from 1981-1983, completed on studio floor with oil sticks
- Many drawings remained private during artist's lifetime, only emerging after his 1988 death
Frequently Asked
- Where is the Basquiat head drawings exhibition in 2026?
- The exhibition 'Basquiat Headstrong' is opening at Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark in January 2026, marking the first comprehensive show of Basquiat's head drawings and his first solo museum exhibition in Scandinavia.
- What years did Basquiat create these secret head drawings?
- Basquiat created most of these head drawings between 1981-1983 using oil sticks on paper, primarily laying them out on his studio floor.
- Why were Basquiat's head drawings kept secret?
- These drawings were works the artist chose to keep private during his lifetime and remained virtually unknown to the public until after his death in 1988, when they eventually emerged and were shown at Robert Miller Gallery in New York in 1990.
- What makes Basquiat's head drawings different from his other work?
- These head drawings are almost devoid of the symbols and text characteristic of his other practice, focusing purely on depictions of human heads ranging from skulls and anatomical studies to stylized faces, representing Basquiat stripped down to pure emotion.
- How were Basquiat's head drawings created and preserved?
- The drawings were made using oil sticks on paper and laid out on his studio floor, resulting in works marked by smudges, dirt, and occasional footprints, with characteristics showing movement between structure and disintegration rather than being preparatory studies for other media.