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Artists’ Biographies 4
Gregoire, Alexandre was born in Jacmel, Haiti. His creative expression began in music. In his youth, he played the saxophone with the Haitian Army Band and later joined the band at the National Palace. Gregoire joined the Centre d’Art in the late 1950s at the recommendation of his friends Gérard Valcin and Préfète Duffaut. His paintings are joyful and light depictions of Haitian daily life.
Ismaël, Saincilus was born on April 24, 1940, in Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite, Haiti. Ismaël belongs to the “Christian School” which mixes Christianity and Vodou. He began to paint in 1956, and in 1985 became the director of the ceramics center in Deschapelles, Haiti, developing a strong friendship with Gwen Grant Mellon, co-founder of Hôpital Albert Schweitzer. Ismaël developed his Byzantine style after looking through art books provided by Mrs. Mellon. He is regarded as one of Haiti’s foremost contemporary painters, and has been a teacher to many young, budding artists in the Artibonite Valley. Ismaël passed away in the spring of 2000.
LaTortue, Philton was born on June 4, 1944 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. LaTortue joined the Centre d’Art at age 18, but also received training from l’Academie des Beaux-Arts. Although his early paintings depicted scenes from everyday life, he now paints scenes of animal-people engaged in uplifting and humorous activities. His paintings portray a lighter side of life.