Warrior (1982 painting)

Warrior is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1982. It is interpreted as "a semi-autobiographical work championing his creative vision as a black artist." In March 2021, the painting sold for $41.8 million at Christie's in Hong Kong, becoming the most expensive Western artwork sold at auction in Asia.
History.
Jean-Michel Basquiat painted "Warrior" in 1982, a milestone year in his career. He had his first solo American exhibition at the Annina Nosei Gallery in New York, and he became the youngest artist ever to take part in "documenta" in Kassel. Basquiat later recalled that he "made the best paintings ever" in 1982, which is considered his most valuable year.
Basquiat painted "Warrior" on a wooden panel in his studio in the basement of the Annina Nosei Gallery. The painting depicts a commanding gladiator brandishing a sword, representing the eponymous warrior, on a backdrop of yellow and blue patches. It is reminiscent of Renaissance depictions of court knights such as "Young Knight in a Landscape" (1510) by Vittore Carpaccio. 
"Warrior" first appeared in an exhibition of his work at the Akira Ikeda Gallery in Tokyo in 1983. In the coming decades it traveled to exhibitions in Paris, Vienna, and Milan. It sold at Sotheby's for $1.8 million in 2005 and $5.6 million in 2007. In 2012, German-American real estate developer and art collector Aby Rosen purchased the painting for $8.7 million at Sotheby's. In March 2021, Warrior sold for $41.7 million at a live-streamed Christie's auction in Hong Kong, which set a new auction record for the highest price paid for a Western artwork in Asia.
Exhibitions.
"Warrior" has been exhibited at major art institutions worldwide, which include: