Mireille Delismé was born in 1965 in the coastal city of Léogâne, Haiti.
In the late 1980s, her close friend Myrlande Constant, a renowned flag artist of today, taught her how to sew and helped her land a job at a factory embellishing wedding dresses for export in Port-au-Prince. Although the factory eventually closed down a few years later due to economic and political reasons, this experience supported Delismé in instilling fine craftsmanship.
At about the same time, Delismé had multiple striking dreams and shared the story with her father, a Vodou priest. Listening to the fascinating details, he drew pictures. These images became Delismé’s inspirations for her first flags and marked the beginning of her career as an artist.
Vodou is a broadly practiced religion in Haiti. Vodou flags, or drapos, are an integral part of Haitian culture, used for home décor and religious rituals. They are embroidered and embellished with beads and sequins. They say that a spirit called Iwa often delivers messages in the form of dreams.
Soon after, in the 1990s, Delismé established her studio. Today, her work is widely recognized, and she continues to draw inspiration from her dreams.
Red and White Flowers
Gran Bois with Drums
Erzulie
St. Francis
Indian Woman with Snake
Agoue
Mermaid with Mirror, Comb, and Fish
Mermaid in Green
Mermaid and Child