Jean-Michel Basquiat.
SUPERHERO PORTFOLIO (RIDDLE ME THIS, A PANEL OF EXPERTS, PIANO LESSON, AND FLASH IN NAPLES), (1982-87/2022)
A portfolio of four hand pulled limited edition screenprints Riddle Me This, A Panel of Experts, Piano Lesson, and Flash In Naples
40 x 40 ins ea.
90 x 90 in
228.6 x 228.6 cm
Available at VFA
I don’t think about art when I’m working. I try to think about life. - Jean-Michel Basquiat
On Tuesday, October 21st, a street sign that reads Jean-Michel Basquiat Way was unveiled in Lower Manhattan on a stretch of Great Jones Street.
Basquiat lived and worked at 57 Great Jones Street from 1983 until his death in 1988. The building was owned by Andy Warhol. It is currently being rented by actress Angelina Jolie for a fashion venue.
An official ceremony was held by the city council and the Basquiat estate, adding the Jean-Michel Basquiat Way sign under the Great Jones Street sign. The ceremony was attended by city council members, family, friends and fans of Basquiat.
Basquiat was born in Brooklyn. His work as a graffiti artist garnered him attention when he was just 17. His work was a reflection of dichotomies in American culture and inspired other artists to explore alternative media, style and subjects.
Visitors have been enjoying Odili Donald Odita’s extraordinary murals at MoMA’s main lobby. They will be on view through April 30, 2026. It took Odita, along with assistants, six weeks to complete the commissioned work.
Odita (b.1966) compiled a playlist of songs that inspired the paintings. He encourages visitors to listen to the music while experiencing the forms and colors as they walk through the Odili Donald Odita: Songs from Life exhibit.
Odita has also unveiled a series of large sculptures at 210S12 in Philadelphia, where the artist lives and works.
A small painting by Picasso, that was reported lost, has been found. Still Life with Guitar was painted in 1919 and owned by a private collector. The work is valued at about $700,000. It was to be delivered by van that traveled from Madrid to Granada for an exhibit at the CajaGranada Foundation.
On October 6th, when the staff at the Foundation unpacked the paintings from the van, they discovered that the Picasso was missing.
Police investigated. After two weeks of searching, it was discovered that the painting was still in Madrid, and had never even left the building from where it was supposed to be picked up by the van drivers. Thinking that someone had forgotten it, a neighbor in the building took it home for safekeeping, A few days later, after her husband heard about the missing Picasso, they unwrapped the package and called the police to let them know that they had the painting.
It will be on display at the Cajagranada Foundation’s Still Life: the Eternity of the Inert exhibition through January 11, 2026.
Please contact us if you would like more information about the works of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Odili Donald Odita and Pablo Picasso available at VFA.
References:
Ella Feldman. You Can Now Take a Stroll Down Jean-Michel Basquiat Way in New York City. Smithsonian Magazine. October 27, 2025.
Alex Vadukul. New York Names a Street in Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat. The New York Times. October 22, 2025.
Sam Jones. Spanish police investigate as Picasso painting vanishes on way to exhibition. The Guardian. October 16, 2025.
Isa Farfan. Visit the NYC Street Now Named After Basquiat. Hyperallergic. October 22, 2025.
Joe Fyfe. Odili Donald Odita: Songs from Life. The Brooklyn Rail. July/August 2025.
Jason Horowitz. A Missing Picasso Is Found, and a Small Spanish Town Loses Its Air of Mystery. The New York Times. October 26, 2025.
Sam Jones. Still life that never moved: mystery of missing Picasso painting solved. The Guardian. October 24, 2025.
