About Philippe Dodard

Born in Port-au-Prince Haiti in 1954, Philippe Dodard is a trained artist who takes the traditional underlying themes of religion and ceremony and transforms them into modern abstracts that are as much statements as mirrors for inner-reflection. Unlike the work of the 'Native Tradition', Dodard's work is influenced by the training he received while a student of Haiti's most advanced art schools. By the time he was beginning his education, Le Centre had already cultivated a reputation and a presence in the world art scene. Dodard's work still links to these elements that are traditionally Haitian-His bold use of color, mask forms, and connection with Vodun religious themes link this contemporary work with those early pioneers. Dodard is a politically conscious artist whose work features dreamlike scenes of life in an imaginary world marked by the symbols of spirituality and mystery. Writing Credits: IUPUI Cultural Arts Gallery, Indianapolis, In

SArtist Statement

The most important influence that I had was at the school of Photo-Mitan (1970) with masters Tiga (Jean Claude Garoute) and Patrick Villaire. Both of them developed the concept of contemporary Haitian art inspired from the popular tradition. While with Tiga and Patrick villaire, I studied the principle of artistic rotation that put the student in contact with the different mediums as colors, clay, sound, inks, ceramics, poetry, movement in order to have a complete expression of the inner self, free from any preconceived definition of art.

I learned to develop a harmony between painting, sculpture, drawing, words, and sound to really express myself through the essense of love that I find in every human being. I find it every drop of nature that nourished my childhood, in every event in my life, good or bad, which built my personality. I consider art to be the luminous breath of the human spirit. A glimmer of light that inspires love.--                   Philippe Dodard