Haitian artist Myrlande Constant, who is known for her intricate Vodou flags, has joined the Fort Gansevoort Gallery in New York.
Myrlande Constant is famous for her large-scale textile tableaux, which she calls “paintings with beads”. Intricate beadworks and the use of fabric form the basis of her works. The major theme in Constant’s works is religion; in particular, she draws heavily from the Vodou and Haitian myths. Constant tries to reimagine the myths of her culture with a new lens in her works. Particularly, her works explore the interaction of humans with laos, the representatives of God in the human world in the Haitian myths.
Born and raised in Haiti, Myrlande Constant was one of the first female Haitian artists to gain international recognition – but art was not always her path. Working as a factory worker, Constant lost her job in 1986 during the anti-government strikes in the country. As a means to sustain herself, she turned towards creating artifacts made with beads and embroideries and selling them. After a friend suggested she look for higher inspiration in her work, Constant started her journey towards becoming a professional artist.
As a daughter of a seamstress, Myrlande Constant learned to play with fabric from a young age. Now in her 50s, she continues her work with the same zeal. Given the complexity of her large-scale works, she often seeks the help of children in her locality to finish the projects. Most recently, she was the subject of the 2018 exhibition at Pioneer Works, New York titled “Pòtoprens: The Urban Artists of Port-au-Prince”.
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Constant’s first exhibition at Fort Gansevoort will be held next year. She will also be the subject of a survey in the Fowler Museum scheduled for 2023.
