Converse comes out with a new Basquiat collection. In this collection, Converse incorporates several iconic works by artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. The American artist was very big in the 80s and was particularly known for his neo-expressionist works. The new drop by Converse pays tribute to the painter and comes with both a sneaker and clothing collection.
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat was a neo-expressionist artist of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent. Basquiat began making graffiti works in the 1970s. Together with Al Diaz, a graffiti artist in New York City, he founded SAMO.
SAMO was the tag that Diaz and Basquiat used in their works, short for 'same old'. Short quotes such as 'For the so called avant garde' and 'Life is confusing at this point' were signed with the SAMO tag. The duo worked mainly in Manhattan and the surrounding area, and SAMO soon became a well-known concept in this region.
In 1980, Basquiat went more his own way with his works. He moved his works to the canvas and started working with paint and brushes. His works are raw, messy and can be interpreted as childish. In 1982, Basquiat came up with the painting 'Untitled'. This painting shows a skull put on the canvas in clean lines and bright colours. This painting was sold in 2017 for $110.5 million. To this day, this painting remains one of the most expensive paintings ever.
Sadly, the artist died at a young age (27), but in his short career, Basquiat created many high-profile works of art and collaborated with names such as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring.
Converse x Keith Haring
It's not the first time Converse has involved a well-known artist in its designs. In 2021, Converse released the Keith Haring x Converse collection. Keith Haring, like Basquiat, was a great artist in the 1980s. His iconic drawings dealt with subjects such as drugs, AIDS and apartheid. Haring's style is cartoonish and very playful. His dancing dolls and crawling babies are particularly characteristic of Haring.
The Converse x Keith Haring collab featured Haring's most famous works printed on the silhouettes of the Chuck Taylors and Run Stars. In addition, shirts and accessories were printed with works by Haring.
Converse x Basquiat
In the new collection of Converse, several works of Basquiat are incorporated in the designs of the sneakers and garments. For example, the artwork 'Dinosaur' is printed on different silhouettes and the famous crown pattern can be found in the collection. The Chuck Taylor and Skidgrip sneakers are available in children's and unisex sizes. Besides these two models, the collection also contains various shirts and jumpers in men sizes.
The sneakers are available in a white and black colorway. Both feature different coloured prints with colours like blue, red and yellow. There is also the option to customise the shoes. This way you can customize the parts of the models to your own taste. On the tongue of the sneaker the name 'Basquiat' is printed with a crown next to it.
The Converse x Basquiat collection will be released on 16 September 2021 at 10:00AM. The sneaker is available at Converse. Keep an eye on our release calendar for the latest releases. Also follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and don't miss a thing!