Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on December 2010

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child : All Jean-Michel Basquiat works ©Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Used by Permission. Licensed by Artester, New York

The title phenom went from starving teenage graffiti artist to world-renowned millionaire painter in just a few years. He always knew he’d be famous; he just didn’t realize that it would devour him, and he flamed out with a heroin overdose in 1988 at the age of 27. This compelling tribute combines informal interviews (shelved until now) with footage of the artist at work and play, and conversations with friends and associates. It shows hundreds of his energetic, word-based, Neo-Expressionist canvases, but more importantly, provides the cultural context necessary to understand them.