Candid Aspirations: Color and Imagination in Haitian & Jamaican Art

21 September 2010 One Comment

By Isake Tom

If you’re a Caribbean art lover that missed Candid Aspirations: Color and Imagination in Haitian & Jamaican Art, you certainly missed a treat. Hosted at the swanky Gladstone Hotel, the exhibition ran from September 7-16 showcasing a rare and personal collection of Haitian art by award winning film director Jonathan Demme.

Demme-well known for his work as the director of classics; Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia starring Denzel Washington, fell in love with Haitian art in the 1980’s. Since then his fondness for Haiti has caused him to produce several documentaries on the Caribbean nation and oversee several fundraising efforts since the devastating earthquake earlier this year. With this latest event, curated by Haitian art enthusiasts Wael Qattan and Jose Zelaya, he certainly brought his passion for all things Haiti to Toronto.

Guests attending the display got a chance to see the work of Haitian geniuses; Philome Obin, Gabriel Alix, Georges Liautaud and Pierre Joseph-Valcin. Also featured, was a vodou temple tour and discussion led by voodoo expert Astrid Jaeger.

Demonstrating his commitment to the promotion of Haitian art, on September 12th Demme himself played host to a special screening of his 2003 film; The Agronomist, which documented the life of activist and Haitian journalist Jean Dominique.

If you missed the show, the Gladstone Hotel will be extending the exhibit from September 24^th to November 18th on the 3^rd and 4^th floor galleries.