Haitian Art - Haiti Observer Blog

Becoming Haiti's first recognized painter was undoubtedly no small feat to Petion Savain. Born in February of 1906, he didn't start seriously painting until 1927, having spent his life and time before teaching tin smithing, cabinet making and wrought iron at the same vocational school. He'd also had an interest in photography and reportedly dabbled in painting, having studied some drawing at school.

It was a brush with American painter, William Edouard Scott, in Haiti in 1930 to paint, that sparked Savain's lasting interest in the field he would be most remembered for. It is said he then taught himself to paint and created a style which would be copied by many later admirers. A Savain painting, recognizable by its distinct purples and pinks, or by the semi-circular or triangular aspects of crouched or sitting figures, is an uncommon luxury to own.

Read more →  

This is one of the best achievements of the Centre D'Art. Under the direction of DeWitt Peters and Selden Rodman, artists such as Philome Obin, Castera Bazile, Rigaud Benoit, Gabriel Leveque, Wilson Bigaud, Jasmin Joseph and Prefete Dufaud were all involved in this project to paint the Holy Trinity Cathedral Murals.

Located in downtown Port-au-Prince in Haiti, the Holy Trinity Cathedral was known for its interior murals painted by some of the most famous Haitian artists. The paintings inside the Cathedral depicted biblical stories only with black or African actors

Unfortunately, the Holy Trinity Cathedral was heavily damaged in the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Holy Trinity Cathedral is located in Port-au-Prince, at the corner of Rue Pavee and Avenue Mgr. Guilloux

Read more →