For the first time, Catawiki will auction a dedicated Basquiat artwork, a signed poster from his final 1988 Paris exhibition, from 5 to 22 December
Only around ten signed examples known: poster comes to market as the artist would have turned 65 and a biopic is underway
A surge in pop art demand, with sales up 29% percent since early 2025, highlights the lasting economic appeal of figures like Basquiat and Warhol
Amsterdam, 4 December - This December marks what would have been Jean-Michel Basquiat’s 65th birthday, and the world is once again turning its attention to the artist who reshaped contemporary culture. Filming is underway for Samo Lives, the long-anticipated biopic set to explore the depth and complexity of his life and legacy, while the art market continues to affirm his enduring legacy: earlier this month, a 1981 canvas featured in his first solo exhibition in New York reached $48.3 million at auction. Against this backdrop, Catawiki, the leading online marketplace for special objects, offers a signed and dedicated Basquiat artwork for the very first time: a poster from the artist’s last exhibition in Paris.
From 5th to 22nd December, fans and art enthusiasts will have the opportunity to bid on a unique, limited edition poster with only ten known signed copies. Produced for Basquiat’s 1988 show at Galerie Yvon Lambert, a long-standing gallery in Paris, this was his final exhibition in the city of lights. Since then, his relevance has only intensified. Basquiat consistently ranks among the top 10 art related search-terms on Catawiki, and this enduring interest is reshaping the contemporary art landscape.
Basquiat’s work sits at the crossroads of pop, street and contemporary art. Frequently linked to the pop art movement due to his close relationship with Andy Warhol and his presence in the same New York art circles, as well as the incorporation of elements of mass culture, brand logos, and everyday imagery, Basquiat has left an undeniable imprint on pop art production. At Catawiki, this segment has seen a 29% sales increase since early 2025, marking a broader move toward artists whose cultural influence continues to deepen. Figures like Warhol and Basquiat, catalysts of visual language and popular identity, remain among the most stable and value-increasing artists of the late 20th century, according to Catawiki experts.
Basquiat signatures are notoriously scarce: his life was tragically short, but even during his career he resisted the traditional circuits of art-world formality. He did not linger at openings, was uninterested in promotional rituals, and rarely signed ephemera. As a result, dedicated pieces are exceptionally uncommon. Although the edition counts 1,000 printed posters, only around ten examples are believed to have been signed and dedicated; this one is estimated at €8,000–10,000. Created just months before Basquiat’s passing, this print is inseparable from the poignancy of an exhibition that may well have been the last of his lifetime.
“Few artists continue to resonate as widely and deeply as Basquiat, which is why a piece like this matters,” comments Céline Paillusson, expert in post-war and contemporary art at Catawiki. “It is well recognised across the art market that Basquiat holds a distinct appeal among younger collectors, particularly Millennials and Gen Z. Not to mention the rarity: only about ten signed copies are known, making this work a rare witness to his final year.”
The auction will be live from 5th to 22nd December, exclusively on Catawiki.
