Jean-Michel Basquiat ‘Equals Pi’ Tiffany & Co. Campaign artwork
Tiffany & Co. revealed Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s first campaign for the luxury jewelry house earlier today, and in addition to the celebrity couple, the images also featured work by Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Entitled Equals Pi, the painting dates from 1982 and was recently purchased from a collector by Tiffany’s. Executive Vice President Alexandre Arnault said WWD that, “We have no literature that says he did the painting for Tiffany,” but suspects the painting might have been a nod to the jewelry giant. “We know he loved New York, he loved luxury and he loved jewelry,” he said, adding that “the color is so specific it has to be kind of a tribute. “.
The artwork will be permanently placed in Tiffany’s flagship store in New York, taking the concept of “Tiffany Blue” to the next level.
Before ending up in the hands of LVMH and residing in the store on Fifth Avenue, the painting by Basquiat had already been seen in the living room of the Sabbadini family in an article by Magazine W. It seems fitting, as the Sabbadini are another famous jewelry family, which also has a very impressive art collection that includes names like Damien Hirst, Victor Brauner, and more.
If you’re looking to see the piece in real life, the Tiffany & Co. Fifth Avenue store is still under renovation but is slated to open shortly. In the meantime, we can admire her in the latest campaign alongside Beyoncé and Jay-Z, which isn’t too bad either.