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  1. La Fortune Félix

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    Born in Pont Sondé in 1933, La Fortune Félix became a houngan. His murals of Vodou spirits on the exterior walls of his small temple caught the attention of Pierre Monosiet, director of the Museum of Haitian Art, in 1975. Monosiet encouraged him by providing materials, purchasing his first works, and helping him to sell his paintings. Dealing solely with Vodou themes, Félix has been compared to artist Hector Hyppolite, the “grandfather of the mid-century Haitian art renaissance;” both are houngans from the agricultural Artibonite Valley with a bent toward mystical subjects. According to his long-time dealer and an author, Dr. Carlos Jara, in his brochure Les Visions Magiques de La Fortune Félix, “This talent for color together with his mastery of composition and his powerful and striking originality, make of La Fortune Félix a very special case in the artistic world of Haiti.”

     

    From “Masterpieces of Haitian Art: Seven Decades of Unique Visual Heritage” by Candice Russell. Schiffer Publications Ltd, 2013

     

     

     

  2. Sénèque Obin

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    Although he did not start his painting career until age 53, Sénèque Obin (1893 – 1977), a younger brother of Philomé Obin and one-time coffee merchant, profited from his brother’s guidance and artistic counsel. Historical scenes were the speciality of the Cap Haitien native, who joined the Centre d’Art in 1948. Sénèque and Philomé Obin were both active in the Masonic brotherhood and depicted Masonic ceremonies among other subjects of daily life in their paintings. Sénèque’s work is in the permanent collections of Ramapo College of New Jersey, in Mahwah, New Jersey; the Milwaukee Museum of Art, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; the Figge Art Museum, in Davenport, Iowa; and the Musé d’Art Haitien du College Saint Pierre, in Port-au-Prince.

     

    From “Masterpieces of Haitian Art: Seven Decades of Unique Visual Heritage” by Candice Russell. Schiffer Publications Ltd, 2013.

  3. Télèmaque Obin

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    Born in Cap-Haitien in 1913, this son of Philomé Obin, although having been trained by his father, was slow to follow his father’s artistic footsteps. Only after working as a watchmaker for 35 years did Telemaque begin to pursue painting in 1966. Country scenes were his preferred subjects and his favorite color was green.

  4. G. Obin

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    G. Obin is an artist from Haiti.

  5. Pierre Joseph Valcin

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    Pierre Joseph Valcin (1925 – 2000) was born in Port-au-Prince to a seamstress mother and bus driver father. He was raised by the mother of fellow painter Gerard Valcin, his half-brother. He worked as a mechanic, plumber, and stone mason before turning to art in the early 1960s; his half-brother Gerard was his tutor. Pierre Joseph joined the Centre D’art in 1966 and maintained his childlike style, including wildly disproportionate elements. Until the mid-1970s, he signed his name on his paintings as “Pierre Joseph.”

    From: “Masterpieces of Haitian Art: Seven Decades of Unique Visual Heritage” by Candice Russell. Schiffer Publications Ltd, 2013.

  6. Castera Bazile

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    Born in Jacmel, Castera Bazile (1923–1966) was raised as a devout Catholic by his grandmother. He worked as a housekeeper for DeWitt Peters, the director of the Centre d’Art in Port-au-Prince, before he decided to paint. His murals in the Episcopal Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-au-Prince: The Ascension of Christ, The Baptism of Christ, and Christ Expelling the Money Changers from the Temple, reflect his Catholic upbringing. Bazile won the Grand Prix of the Alcoa Caribbean International Competition in 1995. This was one of the honors that came his way before his untimely death from tuberculosis. His paintings are in the permanent collections of the Musée d’Art Haitien du College Saint Pierre, in Port-au-Prince; the Figge Art Museum, in Davenport, Iowa; the Milwaukee Museum of Art, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and the Museum of Modern Art, in New York City.

     

    From “Masterpieces of Haitian Art: Seven Decades of Unique Visual Heritage” by Candice Russell. Schiffer Publications Ltd, 2013.

  7. Melecio Fresquez

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    Melecio Fresquez (San Pedro, New Mexico) spent over 20 years as a community pharmacist before retiring after being diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. He decided to pursue his lifelong fondness of art and began experimenting with various mediums. He is entirely self-taught, his favorite being watercolors and woodwork.

    Today his work is limited to a variety of smaller projects being unable to maneuver large items. His professionalism is evident in every piece and he is continually striving to develop new ideas. “I want people to get as much enjoyment from my artwork as I do from creating it.”  

  8. Cineus

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    Cineus is an artist who lives and works in Haiti.

  9. JBJJ (Jean Baptiste Jean Joseph)

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    JBJJ (or Jean Baptiste Jean Joseph, b. 1967, Croix des Bouquets, Haiti) is a voodoo flag artist who lives and works in Haiti.