Gerard Basquiat is the father of American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Gerard’s son Jean-Michel made a name for himself as a part of a New York graffiti artist duo (alongside artist Al Diaz) using the tag “SAMO”. His art focused on dichotomies such as wealth versus poverty, integration versus segregation, and inner versus outer experience.
Gerard Basquiat: Bio Summary
| Name | Gerard Basquiat |
| Gender | Male |
| Born | 1930 |
| Place of birth | Port au Prince, Haiti |
| Famous as | father of Jean-Michel Basquiat |
| Died | 7 July 2013 |
| Parents | Pierre Basquiat and Cheristine Augustin |
| Spouse | Matilda Andrades |
| Children | Max Basquiat, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Lisane Basquiat, and Jeanine Basquiat |
Who Is Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Father, Gerard Basquiat?
Gerard Basquiat was born in 1930, in Port-au-Prince, Arrondissement de Port-au-Prince, Ouest, Haiti. He was the son of Pierre Daniel Léonce Basquiat and Cheristine “Titine” Augustin. He may have brothers and sisters but nothing is known about them. He was reportedly born to an affluent Haitian family. His early life and family’s information are very few online. There are no records of his education.
Gerard traveled to Florida in 1955. He was an accountant. He met and married Matilde Basquiat (née Andrades, 1934–2008), a New York native of Puerto Rican descent. They started their own family and welcomed four children. They had sons Max Basquiat and Jean-Michel Basquiat and daughters Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Basquiat. Sadly, Max passed away at a young age. Gerard was a strict father.
Gerard’s wife Matilde who loved art instilled a love for art in their son Jean-Michel Basquiat at a young age. She encouraged her son’s artistic talent. She would take Jean-Michel to local art museums. She even enrolled him as a junior member of the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Jean-Michel was hit by a car in 1968 and his arm was broken. He suffered several internal injuries, which required a splenectomy.
Jean-Michel’s mother Matilde brought him a copy of Gray’s Anatomy while he was in the hospital. Gerard and Matilde separated in the 1960s but the reason for their separation is unknown. They never got a divorce. Their children stayed with Gerard after the separation. The family lived in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Boerum Hill and then in 1974, they moved to Miramar, Puerto Rico, and returned to Brooklyn in 1976.
Matilda Andrades suffered from a mental illness and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. She spent her life in and out of institutions. Affected by his mother’s condition, Jean-Michel struggled to deal with his mother’s instability and became rebellious as a teenager. He fled from home as a teen after his father caught him smoking cannabis but he was later returned home.
Jean-Michel was sacked from home by his father Gerard Basquiat after he decided to quit school as a teenager. Gerard didn’t approve of his son’s lifestyle but he loved him. The father and son weren’t estranged. Jean-Michel became a successful artist. “Jean-Michel was exceptional. He was always extremely brilliant, with an incredible intelligence,” Gerard said.
ALSO, READ: Matilda Andrades: What Happened To Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Mother?
“He was a genius. At 4 years old, he already he spent all his time drawing. Cars, houses, figures, his mother, me … I used to bring him paper and pencils …” Gerard Basquiat spent the last years of his life guarding and promoting his son Jean-Michel’s legacy. His longtime companion was Nora Fitzpatrick.
Gerard Basquiat’s Son Died At Age 27
Gerard Basquiat’s son Jean-Michel Basquiat was 27 years old when he died on August 12, 1988, in New York City, U.S. He was found unresponsive in his bedroom and was taken to Cabrini Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. He suffered from a drug problem and although he attempted to get sober, he died of a heroin overdose.
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s death left his family, loved ones, and fans heartbroken. His beloved mother Matilda Andrades whom he was very close to was never fully able to get over her son’s death. She kept her son’s legacy alive. According to Jean-Michel’s sister Lisane Basquiat: “Our mother (Matilde) lost her son, and it was unimaginably painful for her.”
“So much so that, in the beginning she helped herself through the pain by imagining that Jean-Michel was simply away traveling. She never fully got over his death. What mother would? Years later, she started a journal that she wanted everyone in the family to contribute to. It was very important to her that we all remembered Jean-Michel and that our memories of him didn’t get lost in the world’s vision of him as an artist.”
“This [King Pleasure©] exhibition and book are a way of fulfilling and honoring her desire to keep our memories of him grounded in who he was to us.” Jean-Michel was buried at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, USA. A private funeral was held at Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel on August 17, 1988, and a public memorial was held at Saint Peter’s Church on November 3, 1988.
Is Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Father Still Alive?
Gerard Basquiat is no longer alive. He died on 7th July 2013, in Kings County, New York, USA. The cause of his death is unknown. His burial details are also not known. His ex-wife Matilda Andrades died on 17 November 2008, at age 74, in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, USA.
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