University
Old Dominion University
Country
United States of America
Document Type
Conference Paper
Description/Abstract
A Canvas Decolonized examines the complex realities faced by Haiti through the lens of its vibrant artistic heritage, highlighting the role of art in interpreting, preserving, and challenging narratives about the nation's history and identity. By exploring the works of Haitian muralists, photographers, painters, and poets including Jean Appolon, Flex Morisseau Leroy, Claes Gabriel, and Edwidge Danticat this study illuminates how these artists engage with themes of colonization, immigration, generational trauma, and cultural displacement. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of Frantz Fanon and Benedict Anderson, the paper argues that Haitian art provides a powerful medium to analyze and contextualize the enduring legacies of colonialism, offering nuanced insights into Haiti's past, present, and future.
Keywords
Art, Decolonization, Haiti
Disciplines
Art Practice | Caribbean Languages and Societies | Critical and Cultural Studies | Cultural History | Ethnic Studies | Theory and Criticism
DOI
10.25776/rwgd-8m93
Session Title
Colonial Legacies, Cultural Identity, & Repatriation
Location
Cape Charles Room, ODU Webb Center
Start Date
3-21-2025 1:30 PM
End Date
3-21-2025 2:50 PM
Upload File
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Included in
Art Practice Commons, Caribbean Languages and Societies Commons, Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Cultural History Commons, Ethnic Studies Commons, Theory and Criticism Commons
A Canvas Decolonized: An Exploration of Haiti’s Colonial History Through Haitian Artists Philemon Obin, Jean Appolon, Sheilby Mecena, Flex Morisseau–Leroy, and Claes Gabriel
Cape Charles Room, ODU Webb Center
A Canvas Decolonized examines the complex realities faced by Haiti through the lens of its vibrant artistic heritage, highlighting the role of art in interpreting, preserving, and challenging narratives about the nation's history and identity. By exploring the works of Haitian muralists, photographers, painters, and poets including Jean Appolon, Flex Morisseau Leroy, Claes Gabriel, and Edwidge Danticat this study illuminates how these artists engage with themes of colonization, immigration, generational trauma, and cultural displacement. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of Frantz Fanon and Benedict Anderson, the paper argues that Haitian art provides a powerful medium to analyze and contextualize the enduring legacies of colonialism, offering nuanced insights into Haiti's past, present, and future.