Julian Schnabel Julian Charles Schnabel (born October 26, 1951, Brooklyn, New York) is an American multidisciplinary artist—painter, filmmaker—renowned for his Neo-Expressionist ‘plate paintings’ and large-scale works. His artistic journey began in Texas, where he experienced a formative childhood marked by displacement and exposure to diverse environments, shaping his worldview and fueling his creative impulse. He pursued formal training at the University of Houston, but it was his audacious application to the Whitney Museum’s Independent Study Program—delivered between two slices of bread—…