1804-2004: Celebrating Haiti’s History and Bi-centennial Independence Through Art
As
Haiti’s bi-centennial independence approaches, Haitians and non-Haitians alike
are preparing to mark this monumentous event. Our project consists of a unique
view of Haiti’s history through art, specifically the historical painting
series of Haitian artist Ulrick Jean-Pierre who has been acclaimed by art
historians and critics as one of the leading contemporary Haitian historical
painters and referred to as the Haitian Jacques Louis David, the great French
historical painter. His paintings have been featured in art history books and
journals including Egypt Child of Africa and Journal of African
Civilizations by Ivan V. Sertima, Haïtiens Aujourd’hui Vol. 1 and 2,
Haitian Artists in America and Cultural Vista
, to cite just a few. He has been working on this
historical series for over twenty years, and as Haiti prepares the celebration
of its bicentennial independence, his paintings serve as a testament of his
commitment to sharing and exploring Haiti’s history through art.
Scholars from different disciplines, including creative writers, museum curators, art historians, ethnologists, musicologists, vodou practitioners and historians are working together to reflect on Haiti’s past and salute its present. Among our contributors are Edwidge Danticat, author of Breath, Eyes, Memory, among other novels, Marc Christophe, author of Le pain de l’exil, Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, author of Africans in Colonial Louisiana and Sybil Kein, author of Gumbo People and editor of Creole: The History and Legacy of the Free People of Color .
Haiti is the site of the only successful slave revolt
in the history of the Americas, and this book describes the story, and the
history of this extraordinary event before the arrival of Columbus and into
the twentieth century through Jean-Pierre’s striking images.
Jean-Pierre’s paintings will be accompanied in the volume by commentaries that highlight, discuss and reflect on the history of Haiti and the example it holds for the interlinked world of the Caribbean and the United States. The volume also showcases Haiti’s history as well as its specific connections to Louisiana and to the United States as a whole. The year 2003 marks the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase, an event that profoundly shaped the course of U.S. history, and which was a direct result of Haiti’s revolution. The volume also presents Haiti’s many contributions to the Americas, particularly during the American Revolutionary War when Haitians came to the U.S. to help fight the pivotal battles of Savannah and New Orleans. It will describe the contributions of Haitians such as Jean-Baptiste Point du Sable and James Audubon.
Each contributor provides a short commentary focusing on
a particular person or event. The paintings, as the primary focal point of the
volume, are complemented by essays that respond to and reflect on the events
that these images describe. For instance, Marc Christophe is writing about the
“Ceremony at 
Bois Caïman”. He 
investigates
the importance of this event in shaping Haitian consciousness. Another
contributor is writing about “The Unknown Maroon”, a painting inspired by the
Haitian sculptor and architect Albert Mangonès and which pays homage to him.
This painting is very symbolic of Haiti’s fight for freedom. The unknown
maroon represents all Haitians (women and men) who continue to fight for
liberty . Unfortunately, there is a tendency to obliterate or simply mention
in passing the importance of women’s contribution to Haitian history.
Therefore, the painting series also pay tribute to the hundreds of women who
have shaped Haiti’s history, such as Marie-Jeanne Lamartinièrre and
Catherine Flond. Marie-Jeanne was pivotal in one of the most important battle
of the Haitian Revolution and was honored by Dessalines for her bravery.
Catherine Flond sewed the Haitian flag.
These are just a few of the examples of what this
project entails. What makes it unique is that the paintings are the focal
point, the essays only serve as backdrops to finish telling the stories and
history already told by the paintings. This retrospective of Haitian history
and influence on the Western hemisphere will make Haitian history and culture
more accessible to a larger and more varied audience. It is also a tangible
way for people around the world to be a part of this important event. The
bilingual nature of the volume will make it accessible and appealing to the
Francophone audience in Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.
The historical painting series will be exhibited at the Musée du Panthéon National in Port-au-Prince, Haiti from November 2003 until March 2004 in conjunction with the celebration of the bicentennial in 2004.
For more information regarding this project, please contact:
Dr. Cécile Accilien at
accilien@pdx.edu Or
Portland State University
Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures
Post Office Box 751
Portland, Oregon 97207-0751
(503) 725-8784 Phone
(503) 725-5276 (Fax)