Haiti Through the Eyes of Its Artists
Dec. 14, 2017
“Through the lens of this exhibit, I hope you will appreciate the universal dimension of the Haitian culture,” said Professor Jean Eddy Saint Paul, founding director of the CUNY Haitian Studies Institute (HSI), at the November 16 opening for “The Universal Dimension of Haitian Culture: History and Politics of Memory.” The art exhibition, which runs through March 1, 2018, at the Brooklyn College Library, features works by nine artists whose common tie is their homeland of Haiti.
Gina Samson. Approaching Vertieres (A l’approche de Vertieres), 2007. Acrylic on canvas, 22 x 26
Gina Samson speaks at the Haitian art exhibit in the Brooklyn College Library. Her work explores human experiences of strength, resilience, and renewal through expressive portraits, depictions of the human figure, and abstractions of line and color. In her work, she seeks to capture a fleeting mood or emotion, and the experience of population movement, dispersion, and adaptation that is the African diaspora.
Frenal Mezilas poses next to his painting zang gayden (2017. Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 24). Born in Jérémie, Haiti, in 1979, Frenal started to paint at 10 and studied at the École Nationale des Arts (ENARTS).
Emmanuel Merisier. Faces, undated. Acrylic on canvas, 18 x 14 inches
Emmanuel Merisier is sometimes inspired by Vodou, but concentrates on still life and interior scenes. His work is in the permanent collection of the Waterloo Museum of Art in Iowa
Eric Girault with his work Villa Miramar No 2 Rue, (1999. Oil on canvas, 34 x 40 inches) Girault developed his impressionistic style at the Foyer des Arts Plastiques. He had his first exhibit in 1973 at the Nader Art Gallery in Miami. He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibits in several countries, notably at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in 1978.
Joseph M. E. Placide. Explosion, 2016. Acrylic on canvas, 18 x 24 inches
In Joseph Placide’s paintings, color seems to be a secondary element in his work, leaving room for graphics that are neat and often poetic. He has participated in solo and group exhibits in Haiti, the United States, and Cuba, among other locations.
Patricia Brintle stands between two of her works—Rassemble (2011. Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 36) and Callas Four (undated. Acrylic on canvas, 36x24). Brintle is a self-taught artist who was born and raised in Haiti and immigrated to the United States in 1964. Her colorful style reflects her native land; she favors bright, vivid, and vibrant colors and uses much symbolism in her work.
Patricia Brintle. Breadfruit Duo, 2017. Acrylic on canvas, 8 x 8.
Essud Fungcap, here with his painting Pearls (2016. Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 40), says, “I see myself as a composer of sorts, bringing together different mediums, ideas, and emotions to create harmony and bring ‘life’ to my paintings. My bicultural upbringing with a Chinese father and Haitian mother has added to my sense of wonder of the world around me.”
The rural landscape of Haiti is captured in Yolene Legrand’s The Commute, route de Petionville (2003. Pastel, 18 x 22) who is originally from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, currently calls New York City home. Legrand, who is known for her use of light and richness of color, has exhibited in galleries and museums in the Americas, Europe, and Taiwan, including the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and the Musée du Pantheon National Haitien in Haiti.
Michèle Voltaire Marcelin is flanked by Red Devil (2010. Acrylic/mixed media, 16 x 20) and Desaparecido, (2010. Acrylic/mixed media, 20 x 24. Along with painting, Marcelin has published books of poetry and prose in English, French, Spanish, and Creole, and has appeared in the films of directors Patricia Benoît, Raoul Peck, and Patrick Ulysse.
Professor Jean-Eddy Saint Paul (second from right) and Maria Ann Conelli, dean of School of Visual, Media and Performing Arts, (far right), with the artists at the opening of 'The Universal Dimension of Haitian Culture: History and Politics of Memory' at the Brooklyn College Library. Miriam B. Deutch, associate professor/associate librarian for research and access services is at far left.
The reception was highlighted by a lecture titled “The National and International Dimensions of the Haitian Revolution” by noted Professor Pierre Buteau, president of the Haitian Society of History and Geography and former State Secretary of Education in Haiti. Both the lecture and the exhibit commemorate the final conflict of the Haitian Revolution, the Battle of Vertières, which ended with the defeat of Napoleon’s army and independence for Haiti.
“Haiti is more than its poverty and its economic woes,” said Saint Paul, speaking about the country’s 214-year history. “As we commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Vertières, the CUNY Haitian Studies Institute, invites you to rediscover Haiti through the artistic work of its proud filles (daughters) and fils (sons).”
Saint Paul was recently honored by The Haitian Roundtable (HRT) by inclusion on its 1804 List. Named in honor of the year of Haiti’s independence, the list recognizes 24 Haitian-American “changemakers” in the United States whose “deeds and accomplishments have helped create a better understanding of Haiti and the Haitian community.” The HRT is a New York City-based organization of Haitian-American professionals who are dedicated to civic engagement and philanthropic work in support of Haiti and Haitian causes.
“The Universal Dimension of the Haitian Culture: History and Politics of Memory exhibit” lecture and exhibit were made possible by the CUNY Haitian Studies Institute at Brooklyn College, the Toussaint Louverture Cultural Foundation, the School of Visual, Media and Performing Arts at Brooklyn College, the Brooklyn College Library, and The Haitian Times.
