CLEARWATER, FLA.- On June 27, 2026, Blackwell Auctions will offer two Jean-Michel Basquiat paintings, both of which were exhibited in 2002 at Ikon Ltd. in Los Angeles.

• “Chop Suey” (1983)
Paint on illustration board, measuring 9-3/4” x 12” excluding the frame.

Basquiat incorporated two familiar symbols that recur in his work into this compact but vibrant painting: the tuxedo-clad penguin with a top hat and the figure with one arm raised, riddled with arrows. It has been suggested that Basquiat might have expanded this work into his mural-sized “The dingoes that park their brains with their gum,” as it bears some thematic similarities to “Chop Suey.” The painting is signed boldly on verso.

• “Untitled (Fig One)” (1982)
Oilstick on paper, measuring 9-1/8” x 11” excluding the frame.

In addition to the dog figure and the apartment buildings, Basquiat included his most iconic symbol, the three-pointed crown. He also signed the front with his full name.

“We sold these two pieces to a private collector in New York in 2024,” said Edwin Bailey of Blackwell Auctions, “and we were pleased to have been asked to offer them again on behalf of the buyer.”

The two paintings were in the Jean-Michel Basquiat / Keith Haring exhibit in late 2002 at Ikon Ltd., a Los Angeles gallery whose exhibition history has been cited in the published provenance of multiple Basquiat works offered by Sotheby's, Phillips and Heritage Auctions. The paintings were then placed into a private art collection in Miami, where they hung for over two decades.

A digital catalog containing additional photographs and information on the two Basquiat paintings is available at https://publuu.com/flip-book/83345/2490965.

The June Exceptional Estates auction will also feature a selection of other fine art pieces, including works by Karel Appel, Erte, James Montgomery Flagg, Highwaymen artists Robert Lewis and Johnny Stovall, Peter Max, Yaacov Agam, Emil Ganso (WPA), Cao Yong, James Rizzi, Mortimer Borne and others.





In-person examination is available by appointment. Public preview will be June 26, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., as well as the morning of the sale. For additional information, visit www.blackwellauctions.com or contact Edwin Bailey at 727-546-0200. Bidding is available online through LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable, Bidsquare, HiBid and through the Blackwell Auctions app (iOS and Android), as well as by absentee bid and phone bid.