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Haiti Art & Crafts ~ Travel Pictures

Oil painting, metal art, wood carving, leather mask, taptaps

Haiti art includes oil painters, sculptors, wood carvers, leather artists, needleworkers and more. Many Haitian paintings by discovered artists hang in New York and Paris galleries, but many other, largely unknown artists vie for exposure, or take their work into the Dominican Republic markets.

The photos on this page are items I bought in Haiti, or were bought in Haiti, and a few came from Sosua, DR. Look for wonderfully embroidered clothing, too. A friend brought me the brightly painted cut metal wall hanging of a lizard. For Haiti information, see Haiti information. Choose Haiti books and travel guides, Creole phrasebooks, see pictures of the Haiti highway from Dajabon to Cap-Haitien, a side trip to Fort Liberte, city of Cap-Haitien, the village of Labadie.


Haitian Artist  Fritz with Oil Painting, Roi Christophe Hotel

Haitian Artist Fritz Momplaisir with one of his paintings.

Fritz M. paints in oils and acrylics.

Here he displays one of his pieces in the lobby area of the Roi Christophe Hotel in Cap-Haitien.

Fritz worked as a server in one of the Cap-Haitien hotels to support his wife and child, while hoping to be discovered as an artist.

When he has art supplies, he volunteers his time to teach youngsters how to paint and draw.

Haiti Tap Tap  Practical Art on Buses

Bus called a Haiti Tap Tap shows art skills (copyright karen zabawa)

These colourful local buses called taptaps are gaily painted with intricate images, and works of art in and of themselves.

Across the top of the windshield on every tap tap, there's banner about 6 inches wide printed with a religious message.

When the bus is full, new passengers, many barefoot or shod in plastic thongs and carrying bags or packages would climb up a ladder at the rear and sit on the roof.

Haiti Wood Carved Furniture Practical, Unique Art

Haiti Wood Carving on Furniture

 

This carved detail is on the front of a chest of drawers in a home (of a North American) in the village of Labadie.

The gentleman had hired local workers to build the homes (condos) and the furnishings.

Most furniture here is made by hand, by local carpenters. Often, the lumber has to first be hand-planed as well.

Similar carving techniques are used to make wooden bowls and platters, and some inlay work can be found as well.

Taina Wood Statue (replica) Typical Craft in Haiti, Dominican

 Taina Wood Statue (replica) typical Haiti Art and Craft

Hand Carved replica shows a typical Taina style craft figurine.

The Taina were Hispaniola's indigenous people.

This statue stands about 6 inches high, and is one I bought in Sosua DR.

If you take a cruise that stops in Labadie, likely you'll find similar crafts and paintings offered for sale at the cruise ship market set up on the peninsula.

If you travel to the Dominican Republic, you'll find many of these items for sale in local markets.

Haiti Banana Leaf Gift Card Typical Craft

Haiti Banana Leaf Gift card

This card was hand made in Cap-Haitien, on Haiti's north coast.

The dark accents on these 3"X5" gift cards are made from dried banana leaves.

I bought a similar style card (see below) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Ethiopia Card Similar Craft to Haiti, Shows African Roots

Ethiopian Gift Card with dried leaf picture like Haitian Cards and Art.

 

I bought this handmade card at the gift shop in the National Hotel in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia.

It is almost identical in size and style to the Haitian one, with the same dried banana leaf details.

Woman's Face Leather Mask is Typical Haiti craft

Woman's Face in Leather Mask is a Typical Haiti craft

 

I bought this mask, along with a carved wood tray, on the beach in Cormier Plage, west of Cap-Haitien on the road to Labadie.

 

I was out for a walk on the beach just after 7 a.m. when a young, tall, thin woman came out from under a row of palm trees with her child, a girl of about 5, and shyly approached me with her crafts.

 

The mask measures about 6 inches X 8 inches.

Haiti Art -  Oil painting Haiti  art oil painting on canvas

This typical and distinctively Haitian painting is widely found.

I bought this one, too, in Sosua, Dominican Republic.

The Cap-Haitien artists market was closed when I was visited, and I really wanted this type of painting as a souvenir.

Haiti Metal Art - Painted Lizard Craft

Haiti Metal Art of a Painted Lizard

 

This gaily painted lizard is a typical example of how Haitians will turn found materials into arts and crafts.

It measures about 12 inches from head to tail.

At Cormier Plage, several black tin metal art wall hangings decorated the walls in my room.

Haiti Inlaid, Carved Wood Tray Also Typical of Haitian Crafts

Haiti  art and crafts  and Inlaid and Carved Wood Tray

It was just before 7 a.m. on the beach at Cormier Plage when I noticed the woman in the shade of the palms, along with the young girl I took to be her daughter.

This tray (about 16 inches long and 8 inches wide) was one of the crafts she was selling; the leather mask above was another.

These inlaid wood bowls are also available in the Dominican Republic.


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Haiti Gallery ~ click the pictures and go!

Cap-Haitien Haiti Gallery page.'fort Liberte in Haiti graphic. Haiti HIghway gallery image.

Haiti Art gallery - image of tap tapLabadie Haiti Boats in harbour. Cormier Plage Travel story Haiti.

Haiti travel guides and books. Travel Informaiton Haiti


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