The Pérez Art Museum Miami is gearing up for an exhibition that brings together ten of Jean-Michel Basquiat's most iconic pieces owned by Kenneth C. Griffin, a renowned collector. The exhibit, titled “Basquiat: Figures, Signs, Symbols,” includes nine paintings and one sculpture, offering visitors a rare opportunity to study the artist's masterful use of portraiture, script, color, and form.

Griffin is providing support for the show through his Griffin Catalyst initiative. The exhibition curator, Franklin Sirmans, sees Miami’s unique cultural context as pivotal in understanding Basquiat’s visual language, rooted in memory, migration, and cultural hybridity. Among the notable works on display will be Untitled (1982), which set a record for Basquiat at $110.5 million in 2017.

The event coincides with Miami hosting seven FIFA World Cup matches, creating an intriguing opportunity to blend sports and art. Griffin notes the unique power of Basquiat’s art to connect across communities and generations, a sentiment that echoes the global unity these tournaments aim to foster.

By combining rarely seen works in depth, the museum hopes to invite audiences to explore Basquiat not just as a market phenomenon, but as a rigorous, self-taught master of painting. The exhibition opens on June 25 and promises to attract thousands of visitors keen to experience these iconic pieces up close.