Haitian art

The Centre d'Art is an art center, school and gallery located in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It was founded in 1944 by American watercolorist DeWitt Peters and several prominent Haitians from the intellectual and cultural circles including: Maurice Borno, Andrée Malebranche, Albert Mangonès, Lucien Price, and Georges Remponeau.[1] Popular artists of this movement often were influenced by vaudou and include: André Pierre, Hector Hippolyte, Castera Bazile, Wilson Bigaud and Rigaud Benoit.[2] Haitian art is a type of artwork is often characterized by vivid colors, spatial composition and spontaneity of painting.[2]

Saint Soleil School, also known as "Movement Saint-Soleil" was founded in 1973 as a rural arts community called Soisson-la-Montagne, in Pétion-Ville, Haiti.[3] This community was started by Jean-Claude Garoute and Maud Robart and they encouraged the academic study of painting, as well as maintaining influence by vaudou.[3] Saint Soleil art is characterized by abstract human forms and the heavy influence of vaudou symbolism.

After Saint Soleil School disbanded, five remaining members of the school were renamed "Cinq Soleil" and include: Levoy Exil, Prosper Pierre Louis, Louisiane Saint Fleurant, Dieuseul Paul, Denis Smith.[3]

A second generation member is Magda Magloire, the daughter of Louisiane Saint Fleurant.

The painters of the Artibonite department in north-western Haiti, where Hôpital Albert Schweitzer is located, have developed their own style, which is quite recognizable. The style began with Saincilus Ismaël (1940–2000), 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. Louizor was born in Port-au-Prince on 16 October 1938. After high school (Lycée 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 Remponeau. Louizor has many disciples including his wife Gerda Louizor. He has exhibited in Europe and the United States.

Notable artists of Haitian descent and members of the diaspora include Jean-Michel Basquiat, Hersza Barjon and Ernst Registre.

Market painting is a Haitian archetype, originating with Laurent Casimir. It typically depicts a Haitian market and is done in the trademark colors of Casimir red, yellow and orange. The motive is often dense with people. These paintings were mass-produced by Laurent Casimir and his apprentices in the mid-1970s, all signed by Casimir.[4] This archetype is later taken up by contemporary Haitian artist like Jean-Louis, many of which studied under Laurent Casimir.

The tradition of making flags (drapo servis) to decorate Vodou places of worship is a distinctive form of Haitian Vodou art. Flags most often commemorate specific spirits or saints, but the 2010 earthquake has become a common subject of art flags. 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.