Handcrafted Haitian Metal Art, Framed Tree of Life, Home & Garden Sustainable

Description: It's Cactus Metal Art HaitiHandcrafted Haitian Metal Art, Framed Tree of Life, Home & Garden Sustainable Sculpture 11.5"x11.5" These wonderful sculptures are handmade from 55 gallon oil drums in Haiti. The steel drums vary from brown to grey to black. As such, colors will vary on each, unique piece. Thank you for supporting our artists. Each purchase makes a difference in the quality of their lives. Artist- Wiseton BrutusWhether born into one of the artisan families of Croix-des-Bouquets, or drawn from the Haitian countryside by the prospect of education and work, It's Cactus 80-plus sculptors know that their futures are secured by art, tradition, and fair trade. Beginning in the 1950s with Georges Liataud, the former railway blacksmith turned folk art pioneer, creativity and innovation have gone hand in hand with teaching and sharing. Liataud, observing the surplus of steel drums in his village, saw opportunity and resources. He cut the metal barrels, using only a hammer and a chisel, and began fashioning simple crosses to mark gravestones in the local cemetery. His work attracted the attention of DeWitt Peters, founder of the Center d’Art in Port-au-Prince, who brought him into the Center and encouraged him to explore his craft. Taking that advice, Liataud expanded his repertoire and began depicting cultural as well as religious images. Additionally, he experimented with dimensionality and form. Equally important, he began to share his knowledge, taking on Gabriel Bien-Aime and the Louisjuste brothers as apprentices. And those men, now regarded as great masters in their own right, taught the next generation, who in turn taught the next. So it is today, with several It's Cactus artists having trained with these early master sculptors, now opening their own workshops, and sharing their techniques with the young and eager. As one artist put it, “I teach people how to work. When I hire them, I help them to earn a life.” Casey Riddell, founder of It's Cactus takes the artists through the next steps. By collaborating with them on design creation, placing orders, paying fair wages, and taking Haitian metal sculptures to the global market, great strides are made in helping the craftsmen of Croix-des-Bouquets help themselves. Guided by cultural respect and conscientious business practice, It's Cactus and its Haitian partner artists work toward their mutual goals of uplifting lives.

Price: 44 USD

Location: Salinas, California

End Time: 2024-03-09T18:15:57.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD