Product Description
It's Cactus Metal Art Haiti
Girl Riding Bird Bicycle, Handcrafted Haitian Metal Art, Croix-des-Bouquet Oil Barrel Art Sculpture
Size: 23"x23"
This piece is hand cut from recycled 50 gallon steel drums. Both ends of the drum are removed and placed inside of the remaining cylinder along with scrap paper, dried banana or sugar cane leaves. It is set on fire, to burn off any paint or residue. When cooled, the drum is cut down the side and flattened out to create a "metal canvas" of approximately 3' x 6', upon which the design is drawn. Using hammer, chisel and various primitive tools, the shape is cut and the various decorative patterns are pounded into the metal, creating a unique and treasured piece of primitive art. The finished design is coated with a protective finish. Can be hung indoors or outdoors.
Care of Sculpture: Made of recycled steel, this sculpture will rust over time if it is exposed to the elements. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, some people like the look of a weathered patina. If that isn't you, don't despair. Taking five minutes once a year to apply a spray-on enamel clear coat will keep your sculpture looking exactly the same as the day you bought it.
**Although we try our best to photograph in a way that best represents the color, due to the nature of photography, lighting, computer resolution, other factors, colors may vary slightly in person.
Artist Bio
Jean Eugene Remy
With a distinctive style and innovative capacity that doesn't quit, Jean Eugene Remy is definately an artist on the rise. He makes great use of three dimensional imagery and his sculptures are filled with action and detail.
Born in 1984 in Port-au-Prince, his mother was already a widow with 3 small boys to feed. At the age of six, he began working “the iron cut for people,” eventually apprenticing in the workshop of Julio Balan.
He remembers his very first sale with fondness and pride: a voodoo piece, sold to a German customer for $30. (US) Though he is Catholic, it is not uncommon in Haiti to blend Catholic and Voodoo practices and symbolism.
The two are quite compatible in the traditional Haitian view. In 2009, he participated in a “Sirena” exhibition in the Dominican Republic and two years later, travelled to Eaton, Florida as a guest artist. There he demonstrated his craft at the “Zora!” Festival of Arts and Humanities, where the theme for the year was "Remembering Haiti."
Jean Eugene has a vision of art as his life’s work. It is his clearly passion. He says, “I dream of having a golden hammer and making my coffin in a beautiful work of iron."
