Walter Pierre

Born in South Florida, to Haitian immigrants, Pierre is an artist, and founder of Studio Kòlòbri, an atelier focused on contemporary Haitian arts & culture. Since 2005, he is based in Jacksonville, Florida, where he has earned his Associate of Arts at the Florida State College at Jacksonville, and Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of North Florida with concentrations in: Painting, Drawing, and Printmaking.

Pierre has exhibited his work at DeLo Studio; CoRK Gallery in Jacksonville; Jewish Community Alliance: Vandroff Art Gallery; UNF Gallery; Fine Arts 2nd Floor Galleries at UNF; FSCJ Kent Campus Art Gallery; Thomas G. Carpenter Library; St. Augustine Art Association.

Statement

Growing up a black Haitian-American male in the United States, has brought a complex array of emotions and thoughts to my artistic work. The power of identity—how it shapes and outlines individuals or groups—has led me to further explore and investigate this subject. Through painting, printmaking and sculpture I create windows into the subconscious that reveal vulnerabilities within society and its relation to identities in general. In utilizing conventional and stylized imagery based on African, Haitian, colonial and post-colonial cultural references, I examine the idea of imposed, reformed, and reinvented identity. I take from the Haitian tradition of using colorful storytelling to attract the viewer and allow a glimpse into the various imagery that makes up identity.

walt.pier@hotmail.com