"As an artist, through the lenses of my perception about life and my philosophy..., as I am creating and traveling through the depth of another dimension..., I not only put paint on the canvas, I put my entire being; my heart, my soul and my captured emotion, as well as the spirit of the moment at the time of the creation..."
--Ulrick Jean-Pierre
Ulrick Jean-Pierre was born in Roseaux, near Jérémie in the southern region of Haiti. He started drawing at the age of 4 and by the age of 16 he was painting. He stated that his first sketch looked more like a pig than the horse that it was supposed to be. Inspired by his uncle Louius Jean-Louis who was a sculptor, Jean-Pierre never put his pencil down from that moment until now. After high school, he studied at Le Foyer des Arts Plastiques in Haiti under the guidance of great Haitian painters like Lavorancy Exumé, his teacher and mentor. Jean- Pierre moved to Philadelphia in 1977, and has studied at the University of the Arts (formerly known as the Philadelphia College of Arts) and Fleisher Memorial School for the Arts. In the early 90s he moved to New Orleans where he was living when hurricane Katrina strike. He was among the countless people affected by Katrina. Jean-Pierre is currently in the midst of restoring his damaged paintings and art studio, in New Orleans.. His studio was completely flooded and some paintings are forever lost. But, Jean-Pierre’s spirit is high, he always says that he finds beauty in the midst of chaos and he is not letting Katrina break his spirit. Rather, he is taking this loss as an opportunity to begin something new. A griot is never at lost for words, likewise the Haitian historical troubadour that Jean-Pierre is will continue to reflect and re-create even in the midst of change.
Ulrick Jean-Pierre is one of the most important as well as the most prolific of contemporary Haitian historical painters. His work has been organized primarily around series depicting Haiti’s history, scenes from contemporary daily life, vèvè, and portraits. He painted a portrait of former President Jimmy Carter that is part of the permanent collection of the Carter Library in Atlanta. He was also selected to paint the portrait of Reverend Dr. Sarah Porter Smith for the permanent collection of the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum in Philadelphia. In addition, he has worked on murals and book illustrations. He has investigated surrealism and symbolism, and his early works depict events from Haitian folklore painted in a number of different styles, from Haitian expressionism to realism.
The work of Ulrick Jean-Pierre can be divided into five major themes: the social life series, the historical series, the vèvè series, the surrealist series, and the portrait series. Social life was Jean-Pierre’s first series and constitutes the bulk of his work. These paintings comprise a powerful and heartwarming depiction of Haitian social life scenes.
Jean-Pierre is better known for his impressive collection of Haitian historical paintings that he created in Philadelphia and in New Orleans, many of which are featured in this book.
The vèvè collection is a series of still-life compositions of Afro-Haitian religious artifacts. These are filled with mystical fantasms, rigorous linearity, and meticulous precision and detail. The surrealist series combines dreams, visions, and abstract concepts in complex compositions. These works represent a natural expression of the fantastic realism which permeates the culture of the Caribbean and has nothing to do with the European surrealism movement.
Jean-Pierre reveals his multidimensional quality as a painter in his mastery of the difficult art of portraits. Beyond routine technique, he manages to bring humanity, pride and dignity to his numerous subjects ranging from beauty queens to presidents.
Jean-Pierre's work has been exhibited in national and international venues. In Louisiana, where he currently lives, he has exhibited at the Contemporary Arts Center, Barrister’s Gallery, Bergen Gallery, Gallier Hall, Dillard University and Tulane University among other venues. Jean-Pierre has won several prizes for his paintings including first prize in the 2001 competition, “A Tribute to ‘Satchmo’: Louis Armstrong Centennial Art Exhibit.”
Jean-Pierre’s paintings hang in private and public collections and in museums, galleries and universities in the United States, Haiti, Canada, Africa, and Europe. His work has been featured in a number of publications including: ARTS Quarterly Catalog of the New Orleans Museum of Art, Haitians in the Diaspora (Directory Book of Haitian Artists Living Abroad) by Emile Viard, D’or du bicentennaire by Jean-Paul Lafitte, Journey Towards Freedom: A Bicentennial Celebration of the Haitian Revolution, and Mystérieux dans la gloire (catalogue et exposition commémorant le bicentennaire de la mort de Toussaint Louverture by Fritz Daguillard, Haitian Artists in America by Shubert Denis, Emmanuel Dostaly Patrice Piard and Patrick Wah, Haïtiens d’aujourd’hui magazine, Audience Magazine, Dialogue des anciens: Toussaint Louverture and Napoléon Bonaparte by Gérard Bissainthe, Gulf Coast Arts Review Magazine, Egypt Child of Africa, and Journal of African Civilizations by Ivan V. Sertima, Cultural Vistas published by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, and Pour enrichir notre patrimoine by Gérard M. Laurent.
His work has also been featured in international and national magazines and newspapers including The New Orleans Times Picayune, The Louisiana Weekly, The New York Times,The Philadelphia Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Atlanta Constitution, The Orlando Sun Sentinel, Le nouvelliste, Le petit courrier, Haïti en marche, Le matin, Conjonction, Le nouveau monde, The Creole Connection, Caribbean Express, Mid-Ocean News and The Tribune of the Bahamas. His work has appeared on television historical documentaries including “Jefferson’s America and Louisiana’s France, Louisiana Bicentennial Exhibition at the New Orleans Museum of Art in New Orleans, Louisiana,” (video 2003) and “Voodoo in New Orleans” (1996) by David Jones.
What sets Jean-Pierre apart from other contemporary Haitian historical painters are the metaphysical, spiritual, and cosmic dimensions that he gives to historical subjects. His passion for Haiti’s history has been a constant part of his work, his philosophy, his mission, and his life. For him, creating art means documenting Haitian history for future generations as well contributing to it. His work seems to say,“It is important to remember the past in order not to repeat its mistakes.”
