Haiti's Glittering Voudon Flags:
Stitching Religion Into Art

February 7 to March 6, 2003

The glittering sequined flags that adorn Haiti's voudon temples are emblems of the island's religious traditions, history and cultural life. Used to invoke and honor the loa, or spirits of the voudon pantheon, the richly adorned voudon flags probably originated in beadwork from the Yoruba tribe of Africa. Manifestations of faith as well as artistry, they are magnificently varied in color and design. Each flag reflects the personality of the loa it is made to honor. Since hundreds of loas exist, each with his own personality and favorite foods, trees and colors, voudon flagmakers have a nearly infinite panoply of symbols, colors and designs on which to draw.

More than 50 voudon flags, by anonymous, traditional and contemporary Haitian artisans, make up the exhibition Sequined Surfaces: Haitian Voudon Flags at Baruch's Mishkin Gallery, Friday, February 7 through Thursday, March 6, 2003. Opening reception Thursday, Feb. 6, 2003, 5-7 pm. This exhibition includes flags by artisans whose work is rooted in their communities as well as more recent flagmakers, including Myrlande Constant and Georges Valris, who incorporate more painterly or whimsical elements into their work. As the artistry has evolved, some of today's voudon flags are made for purely commercial or decorative purposes.

Because voudon itself is a mix of Catholicism and the magical, animist religions of West Africa, the iconography of voudon flags combines European and African elements. Many loa have direct counterparts in the saints of the Catholic Church. For example, the Haitian goddess of love, Erzulie Freda, correlates with the Virgin Mary, and Damballah, a great and respected father as well as a symbol of fertility, is linked to St. Patrick.

The creation of each voudon flag is a labor-intensive process. Traditionally, the flags are designed by voudon priests (houngan) or priestesses (mambo) while more humble members of the voudon society painstakingly stitch the sequins; it may take as much as a month to complete a single flag. In the process, the cloth is clamped onto a wooden stretcher and each artisan works on a different area, much as American women would do at a quilting bee. Many of the sequins and glass beads used can be found in and around the Port-au-Prince Iron Market.

Curated by Candice Russell, an authority on Haitian art, this hugely colorful exhibition dazzles the eye while exploring the history and culture of Haiti. The exhibition is organized by ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-American Arts Alliance, a private non-profit organization founded in 1972.

N.B. In conjunction with this exhibition, a Caribbean Festival Concert will be held on Thursday, February 13, 2003 at 1 pm in Baruch College's Rose Nagelberg Theater, 55 Lexington Avenue at 24th St.

The Sidney Mishkin Gallery is located at Baruch College
135 East 22 Street
New York City

Gallery hours are:
Monday-Friday, 12 noon-5 p.m.
Thursdays, 12 noon-7 p.m.
All exhibitions at the gallery are free and open to the public.

© 2003 Sidney Mishkin Gallery, Baruch College