ANDRE PIERRE

(1914- )

Born in Port-au-Prince, AndrePierre is probably the most famous artist in Haiti with a painting career that dates back more than 50 years since his association with the Centre d’Art in 1949. Prominently featured in the recent U.C.L.A.-sponsored travelling exhibition “Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou,” he paints to honor the voodoo gods at his compound of buildings in Croix-des-Missions. Nearby is his voodoo temple, where he officiates as a houngan. Pierre portrays the spirits as regal creatures in elaborate costumes, dominating lush forests and roiling seas. He often writes on his paintings, identifying the spirits and their activities. African ancestral memory is another important component of his art.