Join The Collection to save, track, and explore works like this.

Jean-Michel Basquiat — “ Believe it or not, I can actually draw.” - Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat

“ Believe it or not, I can actually draw.” - Jean-Michel Basquiat

A raw and frenetic composition rendered in oil and wax crayon on paper, this work pulses with Basquiat's signature visual language of jagged lines, fragmented text, and expressive mark-making. The surface crackles with energy as bold strokes and scrawled symbols collide, reflecting the artist's roots in New York's graffiti and street culture while asserting a fierce, self-aware artistic intelligence. At once playful and confrontational, the piece demands recognition of Basquiat's technical mastery beneath the deliberately unpolished exterior.

Medium
oil and wax crayon on paper

🔨 Auction Lot

Contemporary Art Day Sale

October 17, 2013

Start the Discussion

Request access to join the discussion

About this work

Jean-Michel Basquiat, “ Believe it or not, I can actually draw.” - Jean-Michel Basquiat

A raw and frenetic composition rendered in oil and wax crayon on paper, this work pulses with Basquiat's signature visual language of jagged lines, fragmented text, and expressive mark-making. The surface crackles with energy as bold strokes and scrawled symbols collide, reflecting the artist's roots in New York's graffiti and street culture while asserting a fierce, self-aware artistic intelligence. At once playful and confrontational, the piece demands recognition of Basquiat's technical mastery beneath the deliberately unpolished exterior.

Medium
oil and wax crayon on paper
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

20th Century, Street Art, Urban Art, Bold Colors, Male Artist, Oil And Wax Crayon, Wax Crayon, Figurative Drawing, American Artist, Raw And Energetic, Raw Aesthetic, Oil And Crayon, Late 20th Century, Works on Paper, Oil on Paper, Iconic Artist, Text-Based Art, Raw Energetic Style, Neo-Expressionism

More works by Jean-Michel Basquiat

Collected by

Sebastián In Situ, Sarah Greenspan, Hamilton Selway Gallery, Alex Capecelatro, Nicholas Blum, Lisa Rembrandt, Sebastián Naranjo