The Bishop Gallery proudly announces the opening of Our Friend, Jean: Early Works of Jean-Michel Basquiat, a landmark exhibition returning Jean-Michel Basquiat’s earliest works to his hometown - Brooklyn.

Centered around the celebrated Our Friend, Jean collection, the exhibition offers a rare view into Basquiat’s formative years through early works and archival material that capture the spirit, experimentation, and cultural energy surrounding the young artist before he became an international icon. Held primarily by Alexis Adler, the collection is complemented by a small group of works from other collectors and close friends of Basquiat and Adler, including Jane Diaz, Hilary Jaeger, and Katie Taylor.

The presentation will also include Alexis Adler’s photographs of Basquiat, among the most intimate and historically significant visual records of his early life and creative development. Adler’s photography collection of Basquiat was acquired by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, which also acquired its first work by Basquiat from Adler’s collection: an untitled work depicting Jean-Michel’s version of the American flag.

Before returning to Brooklyn, Our Friend, Jean traveled on a historic six-city HBCU tour from 2022 to 2023, introducing students and wider campus communities to an intimate body of Basquiat’s earliest works through a framework of access, education, and cultural dialogue. Alexis Adler’s portion of the collection also traveled on a museum tour titled Basquiat Before Basquiat, while select works from her collection were featured in the Basquiat x Warhol exhibition at Fondation Louis Vuitton, further expanding public engagement.

This presentation marks a significant turning point in the collection’s journey. After an extended period of institutional consideration, Alexis Adler continues to work in partnership with The Bishop Gallery for the opportunity to keep the work accessible to the public while pursuing a more flexible and community-centered vision. Shaping the path toward BARC, Our Friend, Jean is now being shown with the goal of becoming a permanent holding.

“This is about stewardship,” said Alexis Adler. “These works hold history, memory, and a great deal of intimacy. What matters most to me is that they are experienced in a way that remains open, meaningful, and connected to the people.” For Adler, BARC represents an important vision for how that can happen.
Following a successful presentation of Alexis Adler’s Basquiat photography at The Moore Miami during Miami Art Week 2025—where the exhibition received coverage in the Miami Herald, Hyperallergic, Essence, and Time Out Miami, and was sponsored by Goldman Sachs—those photographs will now be shown in Brooklyn alongside the broader Our Friend, Jean collection.

“Brooklyn has been waiting for Jean-Michel to come home,” said Stevenson Dunn Jr., co-founder of The Bishop Gallery. “This exhibition honors a defining artist and helps ensure that this history remains accessible to the community that shaped his legacy.”
Programming throughout NYC Art Week will include panels, screenings, and guided conversations featuring individuals who knew and worked closely with Jean-Michel Basquiat, including Alexis Adler, Al Diaz, and more. In addition Dr. Teddy Reeves will host panel discussions centered around Black male genius artists - Basquiat being the focal point.

About Bishop Arts & Research Center (BARC):
The Bishop Arts & Research Center is a developing cultural initiative housed within The Bishop Gallery and dedicated to preserving, researching, and sharing significant artistic and cultural histories. Conceived as a public-facing space for exhibitions, scholarship, and community engagement, BARC is being built with the long-term intention of evolving into its own standalone home.

About Alexis Adler:
Photographer and scientist Alexis Adler shared an East Village apartment with Jean-Michel Basquiat from 1979-1980. A crucial period of his artistic development. Her archive represents the most intimate visual documentation of Basquiat's creative process at the threshold of his transformation into one of the 20th century's most influential artists.