Decoding Basquiat: A Comprehensive Guide to His Iconic Symbols and Their Meanings

Rewritten Blog Post:
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s art is celebrated for its vibrant forms and rich symbolic language, reflecting influences from his beginnings as a graffiti artist in late-1970s Manhattan through his meteoric rise in the contemporary art world before his untimely death in 1988. His works are filled with repeated icons and motifs that convey complex narratives, cultural commentary and personal history. Below is an overview of some of the most significant symbols in Basquiat’s oeuvre and the meanings often associated with them. Her Fine Art

SAMO/SAMO©:
This tag originated as a collaborative graffiti signature created by Basquiat and Al Diaz. Pronounced “same-oh,” SAMO began as a humorous slogan with a copyright mark, used briefly on the streets of downtown Manhattan. Basquiat later incorporated the motif into his paintings after transitioning from street graffiti to gallery work, where it evolved into a recurring emblem of his early artistic identity. Wikipedia+1

The Crown:
Perhaps Basquiat’s most recognisable symbol, the three-pointed crown appears in numerous paintings and has become synonymous with his legacy. While interpretations vary, the crown often suggests notions of authority, distinction and aspiration. Some art historians see it as a way for Basquiat to honour figures he admired or to assert his own claim to artistic greatness. Another view is that the crown’s form may reference his friend and patron Andy Warhol. Sotheby’s Institute+1

The Griot:
In works such as Grillo and Gold Griot, Basquiat invokes the West African figure of the griot — a storyteller, musician and historian integral to oral tradition. This motif reflects the artist’s engagement with African diasporic history and his own Haitian heritage, underscoring the role of narrative and cultural memory in his practice. Her Fine Art

Ishtar:
The title and imagery of Basquiat’s 1983 triptych Ishtar refer to the ancient Mesopotamian goddess of war and mythology. Through this and related works, Basquiat incorporates references to Egyptian culture and historical narratives of colonialism and slavery, layering mythic and historical perspectives. Her Fine Art

The Warrior:
Featured prominently in the self-portrait Warrior (1982), this motif signifies strength and resilience. It can be read as Basquiat positioning himself — and Black figures more generally — within a lineage of powerful, symbolic imagery that draws on African art traditions, European modernism and American culture. Her Fine Art

The Hammer and Sickle:
Originally a political emblem of solidarity from the Russian Revolution, Basquiat appropriated the hammer and sickle in several 1982 works. Its inclusion connects to broader geopolitical themes and references historical and ideological currents, including dialogues with contemporaries like Andy Warhol. Her Fine Art

The Dinosaur:
Appearing in works such as Snakeman and Pez Dispenser, the dinosaur motif evokes childhood iconography and commercial imagery. In pieces where it is crowned, the juxtaposition of playful formality with consumer culture can be interpreted as a critique of capitalism and commodification. Her Fine Art

The Cosmogram and Other Icons:
Basquiat also integrates cosmograms — spiritual diagrams from Kongo culture representing life cycles and cosmic order — into his art. These elements, alongside recurring serpents, vertical lines drawn from graphic symbol dictionaries and masks and skulls associated with both African and Caribbean traditions, enrich his visual lexicon with layered cultural, spiritual and existential resonances. Her Fine Art

Text as Symbol:
Words and phrases are another defining feature of Basquiat’s work. Beyond mere labels, text functions as an expressive device that interacts with imagery to amplify meaning, offer commentary or introduce ambiguity, adding depth and narrative complexity to his paintings. Her Fine Art

Understanding Basquiat’s symbolic vocabulary deepens appreciation of his work, revealing how his visual language bridges personal experience, historical contexts and broader cultural dialogues. MyArtBroker