Artist: Jean-Michel Basquiat (American, 1960–1988)
Title: Per Capita
Date: 1983 (original composition); 2001 (screenprint)
Medium: Color screenprint on Saunders 410 Hot Press watercolor paper
Dimensions: 101.6 × 101.6 cm (40 × 40 in.)
Edition: 85, plus proofs
Printer: Brand X Editions, New York
Publisher: DeSanctis Carr Fine Art
Authentication: Estate-authorized edition, bearing the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat stamp and signature of Gerard Basquiat on the reverse
About the Artwork
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Per Capita (1983) is a powerful exploration of wealth, race, power, and social inequality, combining the artist’s unmistakable visual vocabulary with a complex network of historical, economic, and cultural references.
Dominating the composition is Basquiat’s iconic three-pointed crown, rendered in electric blue against a vivid red background. The crown, one of the artist’s most recognizable symbols, frequently appears throughout his work as a tribute to Black excellence, sovereignty, and cultural achievement.
Surrounding this central image is a dense arrangement of handwritten words, fragmented phrases, anatomical references, and symbolic drawings. The title, Per Capita, references the economic measurement of wealth or income per person, introducing themes of economic disparity and the relationship between financial power and social status.
References to classical mythology, including Zeus and Pluto, coexist with Basquiat’s characteristic references to religion, history, and popular culture. The word “ASBESTOS,” prominently positioned beneath the crown, adds another layer of ambiguity, suggesting themes of toxicity, danger, and the hidden costs of industrial progress.
This juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated imagery is central to Basquiat’s artistic language. Rather than presenting a single narrative, he invites viewers to explore the connections between history, identity, economics, and cultural authority.
The Estate Edition
Originally conceived in 1983, Per Capita was subsequently translated into a limited-edition screenprint in 2001, following Basquiat’s death in 1988.
Published by DeSanctis Carr Fine Art and printed by Brand X Editions, the estate-authorized edition consists of 85 impressions, together with additional proofs.
Executed on Saunders 410 Hot Press watercolor paper, the screenprint captures the dynamic visual character of Basquiat’s original composition, including its expressive lettering, layered imagery, and striking contrasts of red, blue, black, and white.
Measuring 101.6 × 101.6 cm (40 × 40 inches), the work offers an impressive scale suited to contemporary residential, corporate, and institutional collections.
