Planted in the heart of Harlem is the visual paradise and power that is Haiti. This comes to life at the studio of master artist Eric Girault. Born in 1937 in Jeremie, He speaks fondly of his country and his people. The beauty and majesty of Haiti is the subject of all Girault’s paintings. In Haiti he says “You sleep on the beat of the drum, you wake up on the song of the rooster, and the smell of the coffee.” He began his interest in art at an early age. He remembers being 4 years old and trying to get a glimpse of his Father’s drawings, from then on he began to draw pictures himself. He remembers his own ingenuity and creativity saying “ at the age of 10 my cousin gave me a box of water colors with a few things left, then where am I going to find a brush? No brush, in Jeremie what type of brush is there ? So I took chicken feathers.” From chicken feathers he went on to produce great art, exhibiting all over the world. He remembers that during Papa Doc Duvalier’s regime he liked to give artwork as a present to the dignitaries. On two occasions his work had the chance to be picked up for Onassis and Rockefeller. Despite his recent problems with vision, Girault still says he paints every day. He welcomes people to his studio, where they can see and buy the hundreds of painting he has produced. Eric Girault can be contacted through his website www.ericgiraultstudio.com
Lilith Dorsey
