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Past Issues
HAITIAN ART EXHIBIT AT CSU DRAWS COUNTRY’S CULTURE CLOSER TO CHICAGO
by Nii Okaijah
CHICAGO:- Depicting Chicago State University’s thrust toward cultural enrichment, the university recently brought the beautiful art of the Caribbean country of Haiti closer to Chicagoans.
Hundreds of people including faculty, students and community residents turned up January 24 through March 1 to admire a colorful exhibit of 20 original pieces by top Haitian artists on display in CSU President’s Gallery. The exhibit was hosted by CSU’s Department of Art and Design in connection with Black History Month.
The art works covered various aspects of the social, cultural and religious life of the Haitian people. Prominent among them were the “Sequins Fabric” by Yves Telemac;
“Imaginary City II” of boat-filled harbors by Prefette Duffaut; and “Tree of Life,” illustrating Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, by Pierre Richard Derosiers. Others included a painting of “Birds Carrying Homes” by Fritz Millevoix and a sculpture of an “Angel” with voodoo images by Lionel St. Eloi.
According to Joseph Campbell, an authority on Haitian art, “Haitians are unique and original in their arts.” He said art forms created for use in religious rituals are “incredibly powerful works” in Haiti. “In the case of voodoo, the traditional banners or flags are no exception as they synthesize the symbolism embodied in African tradition, Roman Catholicism, Masonic symbols and Arawak Indian influences,” he said.
Campbell asserted that the “world without spirits is a wasteland, and Haiti remains a wellspring of creativity and imagination despite the hardships and political trauma suffered by the country.”
Nicole Smith, owner of Nicole Gallery in Chicago, who made the art works available to CSU, echoed similar notions about the exhibit.
“The exhibit contained the best paintings by top artists of Haiti. They were showcased in order to share the culture of Haiti with the people of the United States,” she said.
She hoped that the exhibit supplemented classroom instruction in art, history and culture and enable lovers of art to appreciate and enjoy the Haitian way of life. Smith, a Haitian who has lived in the U.S. for 25 years, added that such knowledge would enable African Americans and Haitians to realize the common bonds between them.
Haiti is a Caribbean country with a population of over five million people, most of whom are black. Its capital is Port-au-Prince.
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