Artist Bio |
| Once called the Haitian David for his portraits
of Toussaint Louverture and King Henrir Christophe, Ulrick Jean-Pierre has become world
renowned for his creation of Haitian Historical Paintings. Jean-Pierre's work
interprets the essential elements of the culture of his native land, and the historical
characters who helped to shape its society and religion. He sees his work as a
testament to the struggle for freedom and independence in the Western world that Haiti has
come to symbolize. |
| Jean-Pierre's works figure in private
collections, museums, galleries, and universities in the United States, Canada, Europe,
Africa, and Haiti. He is a graduate of Le Foyer Des Arts Plastiques in
Haiti. He has also studied at the University of the Arts, formerly the Philadelphia
College of the Arts, and the Fleisher Memorial School of the Arts. |
| Jean-Pierre reveals his multidimensional
qualities as a painter in five major series: the social life series, the historical
series, the veve series (still-life composition of Afro-Haitian religious
artifacts), portraits, and the surrealism series. His portrait
of President Jimmy Carter hangs in the Carter Library in Atlanta, Georgia. |
| Haitian-born Jean-Pierre currently resides in
New Orleans and Louisiana has become a source of inspiration for his artistic creation.
Haiti and Louisiana share many related historical events that made significant impacts on
social changes. Haiti and Louisiana share in common the beauty of French and Spanish
architecture, language, African cultural traditions of religion, music, and cooking, just
to name a few. The creolization of Indian, African, Spanish and French cultural
traditions emerged in part as a result of the influence of free African Haitians in
Louisiana. |
Ulrick Jean-Pierre reflects on his work:
"My
historical paintings represent the ultimate reference to the collective
memory
that all Haitians share about their glorious past and to the
energetic
force which has allowed their pride to transcend
nearly
two decades of social debacle."
--
Ulrick Jean-Pierre, Audience
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