Engaging Haiti through Art and Religion

In the European context, visual art and religion are often studied together; in studies of Haitian culture and society, however, Haitian art and religion are less often combined. This is true in the popular mindset as well as in teaching and scholarship, in part due to racist and imperialist attitudes toward Vodou. Vodou is typically viewed outside Haiti as something terrifying and ultimately unknowable, while Haitian visual art is seen as unthreatening, an unlikely source of revolution. This chapter pushes back against both of these popular misconceptions—art as tame, and Vodou as frightening—and proposes ways to teach Haitian art and religion together by engaging with artist such as Ulrick Jean-Pierre, Vladimir Cybil Charlier, Hërza Barjon, and Colette Brésilla. As the chapter demonstrates, art and religion are tightly intertwined, and considering the relationships between them can generate creative and transformative avenues through which students gain more profound understandings of Haitian society and culture. Works of art are intricate cultural signifiers, and art is therefore a crucial tool for teaching about the complexity of Haiti. Through engaging with Haiti’s long tradition of art, which has spanned multiple genres, students can become visually immersed in Haiti’s history and current realities.