This page provides a list of Haitian artists. People on this list were either born in Haiti or possess Haitian citizenship. Due to Haitian nationality laws, dual citizenship is now permitted by the Constitution of Haiti, therefore people of Haitian ancestry born outside of the country are not included in this list, unless they have renounced their foreign citizenship or have resided extensively in Haiti and made significant contributions to Haitian government or society. The list includes both native born and naturalized Haitians, as well as permanent foreign residents who have been recognized internationally for artistic reasons. If not indicated here, their birth in Haiti and notability are mentioned in their main article.
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.
Harry Jacques, known by the pseudonym Arijac, is a Haitian painter. He was born in Gonaïves, Haiti. After completing high school, Arijac took international correspondence courses in architecture and worked as a draftsman from 1962 to 1963 for the noted artist Sacha Thèbaud's (Tebo) architecture firm. Arijac also worked in the school construction division of the Department of Agriculture until 1975. Thèbaud taught Arijac to paint in the 2000-year-old encaustic method, which involves using an iron with a mixture of beeswax, turpentine and pigment to create images. Considered one of Haiti's finest painters, Arijac has exhibited work at the American Institute, the French Institute, the São Paulo Biennial and in New York City.
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.
Rhum Barbancourt is rum produced from pure sugar cane juice and bottled in Haiti by Société du Rhum Barbancourt. The distillery is one of Haiti's oldest institutions, and its rum is the country's most famous export, widely regarded as among the finest rums in the world for over 150 years.
Gesner Abelard was a Haitian painter and sculptor. Born in Port-au-Prince, Abelard began life as a mechanic, then studied painting and sculpture at the Industrial School of Port-au-Prince under the painter Humberman Charles. He became a member of the Haitian Centre d'Art in 1948. In 1949, he received a bronze medal at the International Exposition celebrating the bicentennial of Port-au-Prince. Many of his paintings depict birds, trees and scenes of Haitian life, and he is considered a naïve artist. Abelard is believed to be deceased.
Ludovic Booz was a Haitian painter and sculptor. Born in Aquin, Booz sculpted bronze busts of several Haitian presidents. His work has been exhibited in France, Israel, and Suriname.
Bourmond Byron was a Haitian painter. Hailing from Jacmel, Byron mainly paints landscapes and scenes from Haitian life.
Philippe Walter Marie Dodard is a Haitian graphic artist and painter. His works have been exhibited throughout Europe and the Americas.
Préfète Duffaut was a Haitian painter.
Edouard Duval-Carrié is a Haitian-born American contemporary painter and sculptor based in Miami, Florida.
Marie-José Nadal-Gardère was a Haitian painter and sculptor. Born in Port-au-Prince, Nadal-Gardère studied in France and later Canada, where she learned ceramics and metal sculpting. Her works have been exhibited throughout Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, and western Europe. She was the owner of the Marassa Gallery in Pétion-Ville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince. Nadal-Gardère died on 23 December 2020, at the age of 89.
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.
Hector Hyppolite (1894–1948) was a Haitian painter. Considered as the "Grand Maître of Haitian Art" Born in Saint-Marc, Hyppolite was a third generation Vodou priest, or houngan. 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 1915-1920. 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.
Eugène Jean is a Haitian painter. Born in Trou du Nord, Jean typically paints humorous scenes of common people. He has been a member of the Centre d'Art since 1971 and has had several exhibitions in the United States. He first worked with fellow Haitian painter Philomé Obin.
Jean-Baptiste Jean (1953–2002) was a Haitian painter. Born in Cap-Haïtien, Jean studied with Philomé Obin before joining the Centre d'Art in 1971. His paintings have been exhibited in the United States, the Dominican Republic, and France.
Nehemy Jean (1931–2007) was a Haitian painter and graphic artist. Born in Limbé, Jean worked as a graphic artist and studied portraiture. He painted murals at the Port-au-Prince International Airport. His works have been exhibited in Europe and the United States. He joined the Centre d'Art in 1947 and was active in the founding of the Foyer des Arts Plastique. Jean died in 2007.
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.
Ghislaine Fortuney Lamothe, also known as Gizou Lamothe, (1935-2020) is a Haitian painter and sculptor. She is the mother of Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe.
Luckner Lazard or Lucner Lazard was a Haitian-born painter and sculptor. Born in Port-au-Prince, Lazard studied for five years at the Centre d'Art before receiving a scholarship in 1951 to study in Paris, France. In 1956, he founded the Brochette Gallery in Haiti and settled in the United States. Lazard's works have been exhibited in Europe, the Caribbean, North America, and Brazil. Some notable exhibitions featuring Lazard's works include showcases at the French Institute in Mexico, the Zegri Gallery in New York City, and, the Paul Robeson Multimedia Center in Washington, D.C. (1976).