Frankétienne is a Haitian writer, poet, playwright, painter, musician, activist and intellectual. He is recognized as one of Haiti's leading writers and playwrights of both French and Haitian Creole, and is "known as the father of Haitian letters". As a painter, he is known for his colorful abstract works, often emphasizing the colors blue and red. He was a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2009, made a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et Lettres, and was named UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2010.
Rigaud Benoit (1911–1986) had become one of the three or four most highly prized Haitian artists well before his death.
Seymour Etienne Bottex was a Haitian painter. Born in Port-Margot, in northern Haiti, Bottex worked as a photographer until 1955 when his older brother Jean-Baptiste encouraged him to begin painting. He joined the Centre d'Art and later the Galerie Issa in Port-au-Prince. His paintings, mingling humorous, historical, and biblical themes, are exhibited worldwide and auctioned at Sotheby's in New York. He is considered one of the finest Haitian naïf painters, and his murals in the Episcopal Cathedral de Sainte Trinité in Port-au-Prince are considered the most important achievement in Haitian modern art.
Jacques-Enguerrand Gourgue was one of Haiti's most renowned painters of the 20th century.
Jackson Ambroise is a Haitian painter. Born in Milot, Ambroise paints landscapes and scenes of daily Haitian life. His paintings have been on display in Venezuela, France, Suriname, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. Jackson Ambroise is currently married to his wife of 50 years and has 2 daughters and 3 grandchildren. He currently resides in Port Au Prince, the capital of Haiti. Although he doesn't paint as much as he used to, Jackson Ambroise is still an experienced painting whose recent paintings are rare to find.
Gesner Armand was a Haitian painter.
Castera Bazile was a Haitian painter. Born in Jacmel, Bazile painted several murals in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-au-Prince. He won the grand prize at the Caribbean International Competition in 1955.
Wilson Bigaud was a Haitian painter. Born in Port-au-Prince, Bigaud first worked with clay before becoming a painter. At the International Exhibit in Washington, D.C., in 1950 Bigaud won second place for a painting entitled "Paradise". He also painted a mural in the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Port-au-Prince which depicts the Marriage at Cana. He was a member of the artist group founded by Hector Hyppolite.
Roland Blain was a Haitian painter. A Port-au-Prince native, Blain typically painted nature scenes—jungles, animals, exotic birds, and landscapes. He died in Brooklyn, New York in 2005.
Maurice Borno (1917–1955) was a Haitian painter. Born in Port-au-Prince, Borno attended school in Haiti, New York City, and Paris. He was a founding member of the Centre d'Art and is considered a pioneer of Haitian art.
Jean-Baptiste Bottex was a Haitian painter. Hailing from Port Margot in northern Haiti, Bottex painted scenes from the Bible and daily Haitian life. His works were of the Naïve style and were displayed at the Centre d'Art. His younger brother, Seymour Bottex, is also a noted painter.
Villard Denis (1940–2004), also known as Davertige, was a Haitian poet and painter. Born in Port-au-Prince, Denis grew up in Haiti but later moved to Paris, France where he lived for several years. Denis' paintings have been exhibited in Mexico, Spain, France, and Canada.
Nicolas Dreux is a Haitian painter. Born and raised in Port-au-Prince. He showed an early interest in painting and studied under Calixte Henri, one of Haiti's early master. With Raymond Olivier, he generated a style that differed from many other Haitian artists.
Préfète Duffaut was a Haitian painter.
Jean-Claude "Tiga" Garoute was a Haitian painter and sculptor. Born in Jérémie, Garoute co-founded a museum of ceramic art in Haiti named Poto-Mitan. An abstract painter, he participated in art festivals throughout the world.
Alexandre Grégoire was a Haitian painter who typically depicted scenes of Vodou, daily life, and historical events in the naïve style.
Hector Hyppolite was a Haitian painter. Considered as the "Grand Maître of Haitian Art" Born in Saint-Marc, Hyppolite was a third generation Vodou priest, or oungan. He also made shoes and painted houses before taking up fine art painting, which he did untrained. Hyppolite spent five years outside of Haiti from 1915 to 1920. His travels abroad included trips to New York and Cuba. Although he later claimed those years had been spent in Africa, such as Dahomey and Ethiopia, scholars regard that as more likely an instance of promotional myth-making than factual.
Jean-René Jérôme (1942–1991) was a Haitian painter and considered one of Haiti's greatest artists. Born in Petit-Goâve on March 17, 1942, Jean-René Jérôme moved to Port-Au-Prince where he attended the "Petit Séminaire Collège St-Martial" and later the "Collège Moderne”. His family is a part of the elite of Haitian society, which enabled him to engage in a variety of artistic activities that interested him such as dance, theatre, drawing, voice and painting. He was able to study drawing and painting at the School of Fine Arts.
Antonio Joseph was a Haitian artist.
He painted The Garden of Eden —sold in 1970– along with other numerous Naive works brought to the U.S. by Yvette Mimieux and Elaine Hollingsworth the same year. When Papa Duvalier died their involvement ended.
