Eske atizana ayisyen se atizana vre?

Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved the arts. I love music, paintings, poems and the theater. However, I've grown to realize that not everyone's art is represented, and not all art is considered art. In the case of Haiti, I've seen people describe her art as "primitive" or "naive" which to me implies that Haitian art is fixed/stagnant and that there will not be any growth or movements to inspire a new wave of painting or the ingenuity to work with different mediums.


 I think those opinions arise from the surroundings of the painters (often poor), the bright colors, and the actions/people depicted in the paintings. They are often paintings of peasants hard at work in the countryside, men in the fields, and even women toiling under the hot sun. The only paintings that are revered and respected as true art, seem to be that of European artists. When one uses Monet, Van Gogh, and Matisse as the standard, or even barometer to judge others; there is no room for diversity and it ceases to be about the art and instead it becomes an issue of credentials. I always thought that one should appreciate art for the thoughts and feelings that it invokes in you, not where the artist went to school, who they studied under, or their race.

*All images are from Google