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The country of Haiti has had a complex past, and as different uninvited nationalities arrived and made their mark on the island, Haiti’s culture resiliently evolved and adapted them. Today, the food, dance, and art of the nation is an amalgam of the history of Haiti, and incorporates French, African, and indigenous Taino influences. Throughout its history, the Haitian people’s passion for expressing themselves through the arts has remained consistent, with a rich body of painting, sculpture and music arising from the country. Focusing on present day, Something Curated takes a closer look at five contemporary practitioners from Haiti who are shining a light on their dynamic culture through art, music, fashion and film.


Andre Eugène, Artist & Curator

Artist and curator Andre Eugène was born in downtown Port-au-Prince in 1959. He is a leading figure in the artists’ collective known as Atis Rezistans and a broader movement known as the Sculptors of Grand Rue. Much of Eugène’s work is figurative, imbued with a bold sense of irony, sexuality and humour. In 2006, he contributed to a large-scale collective sculptural work, which is a permanent exhibit at the International Museum of Slavery in Liverpool. Alongside fellow artist and curator Leah Gordon, Eugène is the founder of the Ghetto Biennale, Haiti. Taking place in two of Port-au-Prince’s poorest districts known as Lakou Cheri and Ghetto Leanne, the biennale offers an opportunity for local artists, often without any training, to work side-by-side and collaborate with visiting international artists.


Michèle Stephenson, Filmmaker

Stateless, 2020. Directed by Michèle Stephenson

Michèle Stephenson is a Haitian filmmaker and former human rights attorney. Along with spouse Joe Brewster, Stephenson founded the Rada Film Group with a mission: to tell important stories about communities that have been neglected by the mainstream media and, in turn, the global consciousness. In 1937, tens of thousands of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent were exterminated by the Dominican army on the basis of anti-Black racism. Fast-forward to 2013: the Dominican Republic’s Supreme Court stripped the citizenship of anyone with Haitian parents, retroactive to 1929, rendering more than 200,000 people stateless. Stephenson’s new documentary follows the grassroots campaign of a young attorney named Rosa Iris, as she challenges electoral corruption and fights to protect the right to citizenship for all people.


Michael Brun, DJ & Producer

https://www.instagram.com/p/CD9X-JAhePT/

Michael Brun is a Haitian DJ and record producer known for blending electronic music with traditional Haitian styles such as kompa and rara. He released his debut EP Gravity in 2013, and founded the record label Kid Coconut in 2014, to showcase Haitian music and develop Haitian artists. In 2018, he released the single Positivo with J Balvin, which became the theme song for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. His debut album, Lokal, was released on June 26, 2019. Brun was born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to a Haitian father and Guyanese mother. Growing up he was exposed to the music of Caribbean Sextet and Tabou Combo, which influenced his musical tastes. Today, Brun is based in Brooklyn, New York. He is an ambassador for Paul Haggis’ Artists for Peace and Justice, and mentors children in Haiti’s non-profit school The Audio Institute.


Richard Nesly, Artist

Richard Nesly, Almighty Sun, 2013. AYITI Gallery. © Richard Nesly

Richard Nesly is the son of Antilhomme Richard, one of the great figures of the Saint Soleil movement. Depicting singular spiritual characters on canvas, Nesly’s paintings are influenced by traditions of voodoo and magic. From bright suns plunging into purple waters to brown cow tails swatting away flies, his style is both bold and whimsical. The artist tells, “I source my inspiration in nature. Always in movement, always regenerating, nature is strength. I observe it, I listen to it, I paint it. Nature is alive, full of spirits inhabiting trees, animals, clouds, humans. I invoke them. They show me their world. They represent power and authority over the rivers, fields and natural places. Gods and goddesses of nature appear in my dreams. Through my art, I share my vision to the world.”


Azéde Jean-Pierre, Fashion Designer

Fashion designer Azéde Jean-Pierre was born in Pastel, Haiti and emigrated to the United States as a child, growing up in Atlanta, Georgia. Jean-Pierre debuted her eponymous label in 2012, and has since designed garments for Michelle Obama, Naomi Campbell and Solange Knowles, among other eminent figures. An alum of Savannah College of Art and Design and a NYC transplant, Jean-Pierre honed her skills early on apprenticing under Ralph Rucci and at Ohne Titel before pursuing the launch of her own line. The duality of her upbringing and cultural background is a constant influence and inspiration for the designer, who pulls from her natural, urban and multicultural upbringing to generate a distinctive perspective within fashion.



Feature image: Richard Nesly, Spirits of the Sun, 2013. AYITI Gallery. © Richard Nesly

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