Racine Polycarpe (born in Jeremie, Haiti, 1991) was a visiting artist from Haiti.
I am an emerging artist from the ghetto of Grand Rue in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In 2006, I was adopted by my uncle, the well-known artist, Celeur Jean-Herard. I worked as his apprentice at his school, the Realm of the Arts and Minds. Here I learned about contemporary art history and I learned how to carve wood and rubber and how to assemble found objects. Currently, I am a member of Atis Rezistans, a community of artists who make artwork from recycled materials. In a country where only a few artists become recognized, we formed the Atis-Rezistans collective to help each other as fellow artists. In 2009, my work was exhibited in Port-au-Prince at the Institut Francais, the 1st Ghetto Biennale, and the Fet Gede at the National Cemetery. In 2010 my work was exhibited internationally at the Portman Gallery in London, and at the XISM Etnografiska Museet in Stockholm. In 2011, I participated in the 2nd Ghetto Biennale in Port-au-Prince and my work was shown in Nouvo Rezistans at the Institut Francais, Port-au-Prince.
I make sculpture out of recycled materials such as wood, plastic, metal, rubber, and anything I find. I also make painted sculptures with carved rubber from old tires. The reason I use these materials as my medium is because, in my country, when people are finished using things they just throw them outside. As artists we see value in these things and turn them into art following the history of assemblage art. It is a transformative act to take these discarded objects off the street and turn them into art.
Photos and press release for this artist.
Residency: August 2013 - September 2013
Art Exhibition: Friday, September 20 & Saturday, September 21