"The Dances," is a collection of prints whose overall concept stems from a curiosity of my Haitian culture. After some research, I had come across a few traditions which had been widely practiced in Haiti. I discovered a series of dances that seemed to revolve around vòdoun traditions, and which appeared to display a syncretic melding of ancient tribal African and European customs. These dances would vary in the garments that were worn– which displayed elements of the colonial and peasantry –and in the movements executed in them. The prints examine the mysticism and preserved qualities of African traditions, as well as the appropriation of French colonial customs by Saint–Domingue slaves; of whom present Haitians are descended.
Bèl Congo
etching, 4 x 6 inches, 2016
Dans Matinik
Dry point, double plate with soft-ground etching, 4 x 6 inches, 2016
Dans de L'Invokasyon
etching, 4 x 6 inches, 2016
Youn Kòm Deu
etching, 4 x 6 inches, 2016