HomeCultureGerard Fortune: Art Imbued With a Passion for Life, Nature, and the Gods

Gérard Fortune — who signs his work exclusively with his surname, Gérard — was born in 1925 in Petionville, Haiti. He was originally a houngan (Vodou priest) and pastry chef, and he did not start to paint until around 1980. His paintings are imbued with his passion for life and close connections to nature and the gods. His work appears in most books on Haitian Art. Seldon Rodman, for example, devotes a large fraction of a chapter from “Where Art is Joy – Haitian Art: The First Forty Years” to Gérard, whom he considers to be an expressionist and regards as one of the most imaginative self-taught Haitian painters. Gerard’s work is widely collected and exhibited in Europe and the U.S. (Click on images to enlarge.)

 

Sources: Le Clocher | Electric Art Gallery

 

About Dady Chery

Dr. Dady Chery is a Haitian-born poet, playwright, journalist and scientist. She is the author of the book "We Have Dared to Be Free: Haiti's Struggle Against Occupation." Her broad interests encompass science, culture, and human rights. She writes extensively about Haiti and world issues such as climate change and social justice. Her many contributions to Haitian news include the first proposal that Haiti’s cholera had been imported by the UN, and the first story that described Haiti’s mineral wealth for a popular audience.


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