Jean-Michel Basquiat’s influence continues to shape contemporary culture, from fashion and music to art and beauty. This August, M·A·C Cosmetics celebrates the legacy of one of New York’s most influential artists with a limited-edition collection created in collaboration with the Basquiat Estate.

The collection explores Basquiat’s approach to creativity, transforming makeup into a medium for experimentation and self-expression. Developed with the artist’s family, the collaboration draws from his use of color, texture, and movement to create products designed as tools for artistic exploration.

For M·A·C Global Creative Director Nicola Formichetti, the connection between Basquiat’s work and the brand’s identity was natural.

“This whole collection is a love letter to downtown New York’s art scene. Basquiat represents a fearless kind of creativity that has always inspired me personally, and his work sits at the intersection of identity, color, and self-expression—the very same territory M·A·C has occupied since day one,” Formichetti says.

The collection introduces new formulas created specifically for this collaboration, including Oil Effect Eye Paint, a liquid shadow with a glossy, paint-like finish that can be layered or blended for different effects, and Pastel Painting Eye + Face Chalk, a buildable formula inspired by the texture of artists’ pastels. The lineup also includes the Basquiat Artist Brush Set, designed with professional artistry in mind, two exclusive shades of MACximal Silky Matte Lipstick—Ruby Woo-ster and Bowery Brown—and the limited-edition Famous Bag, created to hold creative essentials.

The development process focused on capturing the energy behind Basquiat’s work and translating it into formulas that encourage personalization.

“Our goal wasn’t simply to celebrate his artwork, but to honor his creative spirit. His art and our artistry naturally belong together. Every product is designed to capture that fearless energy and invite people to create something that’s uniquely their own,” explains Formichetti.

With this collaboration, M·A·C continues its tradition of connecting beauty with broader cultural movements, using makeup as a form of creative expression and celebrating Basquiat’s lasting impact on the way people approach art, identity, and individuality.