Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition comes to Dublin

An exclusive exhibition, 'JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT: ROLAND HAGENBERG X JOE HENRY,’ will feature never before seen photographs of the iconic artist as well as paintings that interpret his world and vision. The must-see exhibition will launch in Dublin on November 13th, 2019 at Sal Fine Art. On view will be 12 images of Jean-Michel Basquiat by Austrian artist by Roland Hagenberg, who documented New York's art-world in the 1980s. Next to that will be Artist Joe Henry’s series of paintings that interpret Basquiat's unique perspective. Hagenberg and Henry also collaborated on a large size artwork.

This event serves as a follow up to the recently successful LCD Soundsystem Exhibition at The Guinness Open Gate Brewery.

Speaking on the forthcoming event, Nigel Tynan of Sal Fine Art said, 'Bringing this exhibition to Ireland for the first time is a real dream come true. It’s fantastic to be able to share Roland’s iconic images of Jean-Michel Basquiat which have such a powerful human and social context. Joe Henry's paintings are a personal and thoughtful interpretation of Basquiat’s powerful energy and charisma.'

Roland Hagenberg, writer and photographer said, 'I have never set foot on Ireland before. But as a writer, I have always admired its powerful poets. What better way to get to know this country than to collaborate with one of its wonderful artists like Joe Henry.'

Roland's portraits have significantly shaped our image of Basquiat. His photographs have been published worldwide in many monographs, catalogues and art magazines.  Among the artists he photographed was 23-year-old Jean-Michel Basquiat in his Crosby Street studio. The resulting photographs are possibly the only portraits that depict Basquiat in realistic and unfiltered terms while painting in his somber Soho loft.

Joe Henry, curator and artist reminisced, saying that, 'I worked on the Andy Warhol exhibition in Dublin last Christmas and felt this would be the perfect follow up: Reminiscing New York’s punk and art scene of the 1980s. Every time I see Basquiat's work, I am overwhelmed. Roland has captured his mood perfectly. To work alongside him on this is magic!'