Haitian art is a complex tradition, reflecting African, French, Catholic, and tribal and Vodou roots. It as an important representation of Haitian culture and history.
Many artists cluster in ‘schools’ of painting, such as the Cap-Haïtien school, which features depictions of daily life in the city, the Jacmel School, which reflects the steep mountains and bays of that coastal town, or the Saint-Soleil School, which is characterized by abstracted human forms and is heavily influenced by Vodou symbolism.
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Founding members:
Second generation
Magda Magloire - Daughter of Louisianne Saint Fleurant, Magda Magloire's paintings can be seen throughout galleries in Pétionville, just outside of Port-au-Prince. In early 2010, Magloire had to rescue the bones of her deceased mother and brother Stivenson from the cemetery in Pétionville. Pétionville's mayor, Claire Lydie Parent ordered the cemetery demolished to create a new bus stop.[1]
The painters of the Artibonite region in central Haiti, where Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti is located, have developed their own style, which is quite recognizable.
The style began with Saincilus Ismaël, the recently deceased great master of the region, who was influenced by Byzantine art he had seen in books. Ismaël began to paint in 1956 after visiting the Centre d'Art in Port-au-Prince. His paintings are marked by exquisite detail. Every article of clothing, house, or tree is painted with a different intricate geometric pattern.
Délouis Jean-Louis grew up in Petite Rivière under the influence of Ismaël. Although he worked under Ismaël for 15 years, he never had formal painting lessons. He began painting to make money, but gradually began to paint carefully executed scenes from his imagination.
Alix Dorléus also learned to paint with Ismaël and Mrs. Mellon. He paints all day long and will paint anywhere he feels the spirit to motivate him. His best paintings are detailed depictions, like activity maps, of daily life in the Artibonite Valley.
Ernst Louizor is considered one of the best impressionist painters of Haiti. Louzor was born in Port-au-Prince on October 16, 1938. After high school (Lycee Toussaint L'Ouverture '57) he worked in the tax section of Customs. Louizor's painting career began in 1951 when at the age of 13 he joined the Centre d'Art and studied under Wilmino Domond. He later entered the Académie des Beaux-Arts shortly after its founding in 1959 and furthered his studies with Georges (Geo) Remponeau. Louzior has many disciples including his wife Gerda Louizor. He has exhibited in Europe and the U.S..
This section features artists of Haitian descent and members of the diaspora.
Hersza Barjon
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Haitian sculpture is made of natural materials, traditional art mediums, and recycled materials.
"Haitian Steel Drum Sculpture" The village of Noailles in Croix-des-Bouquets is home to over a dozen artisan workshops producing countless pieces for over two decades. The work is created out of recycled oil drums. In August 2011, the Clinton Global Initiative along with Greif Inc., donated 40 tons of scrap metal to the artists in Croix-des-Bouquets. After the earthquake in 2010, artists had a difficult time finding material to work from. According to Deputy Jean Tholbert Alexis, 8,000 people in the area are directly or indirectly benefit from the villages' artisans.[2]
The tradition of making flags to decorate Vodou places of worship is well established. Flags most most often commemorate specific sprits or saints, but the 2010 earthquake has become a common subject. The use of sequins in these flags became prevalent in the 1940s, and many of today's flags cover the entire flag in colored sequins and beads. These flags are traded as art by dealers around the world.
On January 12, 2010 a devastating earthquake struck Port-au-Prince and the its surrounding area and resulted in mass devastation.[3] The Haitian art world suffered great losses in the earthquake. Museums and art galleries were extensively damaged, among them Port-au-Prince's main art museum, Centre d'Art, where many art works were destroyed. The collection at Collège Saint Pierre also was devastated, as was the collection of priceless murals in the Holy Trinity Cathedral.[4] Some private art galleries were also severely damaged, including the Monnin Gallery in Pétionville,[4] and the Nader Art Gallery and Musée Nader in Porta-au-Prince. The personal collection of Georges Nader Sr., the Nader collection was worth an estimated US$30-US$100 million. Shortly after the earthquake struck, UNESCO assigned special envoy Bernard Hadjadj to evaluate damage to artwork.[5]
Museum Collections
Galleries in Haiti
Galleries in the United States
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