Revolutions - “Pour les ancêtres”

Revolutions - “Pour les ancêtres” is a project still in development that explores the pride, strength, vibrance and resilience present in both Haitian culture and history. It comes at another critical time in Haiti's current climate. As a Haitian-Born artist who grew up in the United States, a lot of the representations I witnessed of Haitians in American media were centered around the struggles in which the nation experienced. This included issues such as natural disasters, gang violence, lack of resources and more. Telling people I was Haitian is often followed by a statement like "I'm sorry about what's going on there." While that sympathy is greatly appreciated, I started to realize how people's perception of Haiti was limited to the issues it was facing– which is a product of only ever being represented by that type of news. This prompted me to help shift that narrative. Haitians are not defined by the struggles they face. Revolutions is a project that focuses on the beauty within Haitians that deserves to be seen. This project is spearheaded by the first portrait of the series titled "Dessalines" which draws inspiration from historical Haitian Revolutionary leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines.