Art is the Solution

Guédé Wedding Source: Nottingham Contemporary Gallery Haitian art has always been a part of my life. My mother traveled to Haiti before I was born, and my childhood home was decorated with several pieces of Haitian folk art that she purchased during her trip, including one very large painting that hung in our living room. As a child, I was always drawn to the bright colors and fantastical scenes, although I didn’t have much to compare them to. According to my research , Haitian art is typically characterized by vibrant colors and a “flat” or “two-dimensional” style (lacking spatial depth). These characteristics have led some Western art critics to compare these paintings to naive art (art produced by untrained artists). Themes vary widely, but Haitian art often contains references to current social or political events, scene of everyday life, and religious imagery, often relying on Haiti’s Vodou religion. Guédé Wedding is an excellent example of this style. Produced by one of...