My Sweetheart Haiti!
During those years, painting bubbled within, until, that one Haitian trip that made it all explode. After his revealing and enlightening journey, he returned to the USA and started a new chapter in his life, and without a doubt the most important one to date: portraying the beauty of Haiti on canvases, usually, very large ones, “Where I can express myself without restriction”. In his artwork, he illustrates his country represented by warm and striking colors. He magnifies the Haitian tradeswomen, paints the innocence of children playing in the street, celebrates the beauty of his country’s traditional ceremonies, and its natural and cultural wealth, the, symbols of life. ‘I definitely enjoy life, and my colors are purely the reflection of my vision of the tropics, the Caribbean, and particularly, my sweetheart, Haiti”. The painter justifies why women are at the center of his creations: “I venerate and respect women in all their splendor. They are our goddesses. They are the symbol of beauty, goodness, love, sensuality and tenderness, a simple reflection of my experience, a blessing”. For Carl Craig, women are a great source of inspiration, particularly his wife, Marie Donald. It was love at first sight, and she changed his life. “She was standing at the top of a staircase, dressed in black” he remembers.
Back to the painting…A few simplicities inspire the humble artist: “the shades of human beings’ skin and all the nuances of nature, especially the changes and reflections caused by the light, and colors”. Almost philosophical…
Presented as the best Haitian painter, he believes that despite the multitude of artists from his country, many are beginning to appreciate the importance of this form of visual art. He places his hopes on the next generation who benefit from new technologies, and challenges them to “always seek for elements of our culture that we must showcase to the world”.
My challenge: sharing the beauty
When asked where Africa stands in his creations, he responds that it is the “nucleus”. “Haiti is the only country in the Americas who always kept their ties with the Motherland since the first day of independence”. He also confesses that his wife traced his DNA, which revealed 49% of African heritage. That discovery not only drives his quest for the “Motherland”, but also his desire to refine his education of art. In fact, that is the foundation of his success: “Never stop studying art and history, and always apply what you have learnt. That is the key to growth and making amazing daily discoveries”. Living in the United States for so many years, he’s learnt that: “It is a culture that fosters self-awareness, an environment that encourages me, at this stage of my life, to take on a challenge so dear to my heart: sharing the beauty”. It’s another way for him to live the “American dream”.
Today, his greatest dream is to have his own major art exhibition in Africa. He is also working on a project named “Musical Euphoria on Canvas “, to promote Haitian music giants. By the way, did we tell you? In addition to being a painter, Carl Craig is also a photographer and…a musician. Shh! He defends; “I am first and foremost a painter. I use photography as a tool and music as hobby”. We told you.
To see for yourself, just spend a little time in his studio, at his residence in Miramar, South Florida; the ritual is almost the same when the time comes to escape, to express his feelings: background music playing Stevie Wonder or John Lennon, oil paint, a brush in hand…and Haiti on a canvas.
