Product Description
It's Cactus Metal Art Haiti
Handcrafted Haitian Folk Art, Happy Dog in the Fields, Eco-Friendly Garden Art 23"x23"
The traditional Haitian method of creating metal sculptures from discarded oil drums has changed very little since the technique was first developed by Georges Liataud in the 1950's. To begin, the drums are burned out, cleaned up, sanded down and pounded flat. Next, the artist chalks his intended design onto the prepared metal and begins the heavy and tedious work of cutting and detailing, using only a hammer and chisel. Finally, the sculpture is sealed with a weather-proof finish, so that the sculpture may be displayed easily indoors or out.
Artist Bio
Unsigned
Having worked in Haiti for over 20 years we have had the pleasure of working with as many as 120 artists cultivating business relationships, and building long lasting friendships. There is a lot of good that comes from Fair Trade because every sale we make makes a positive impact on the artist who produces it. This piece of art is work of many hands. From the laborers who begin the process by removing the residue from discarded steel drums, cutting off the tops and bottoms, splitting them down the side sanding and pounding them flat to the artist who then takes over drawing his design and uses only a hammer and chisel to do the heavy cut work and intricate detailing giving this piece form, dimension, and its distinct character that you see. As you can see, it really takes a village! That is why the benefits flow from the whole workshop and create prosperity for the artist and their families, their workers/apprentices, and, ultimately, the entire village. We are proud to be a part of that, and so are our artists! That’s why you will notice that 99% of our art is signed by the artist. However, sometimes because of the large orders they receive, these artists are working quickly and might forget to sign their art. It happens! But rest assured that, whether or not their piece of art is signed, they got paid for their beautiful piece of art.