OUR COLLECTION — LATIN AMERICA — HAITI 350. STARRY SKY STEEL DRUM NATIVITY
This Nativity wall hanging is cut from the top or bottom of a recycled 55-gallon oil drum. The scene depicts the Holy Family resting under two palm trees and a sky with hundreds of stars. The piece is signed with the artist’s initials “C J M” on the lower-left corner of the piece. The hanging measures 23 inches in diameter.
Resourceful artisans in Haiti use recycled 55-gallon oil drums to make their traditional art. They cut out the top and bottom, and flatten the sides using their hands and feet. They clean the drums and any remaining oil residue is burned off. After flattening the drum, the artisan sketches a design on the metal and cuts intricate designs with only a hammer and chisel, using nearly the entire oil drum. After the edges are sanded smooth, the artisan applies varnish to keep the metal from rusting and dries it in the sun. Because Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world (the poorest in the Western Hemisphere), continuing orders for handicrafts are very important for artisans to provide basic needs for their families.
Comite Artisanal Haitien (CAH) gives work to 180 individual Haitian artisans and groups, including the artisans from Cite Soleil and other poor areas in and around Port-au-Prince, who create beautiful works of art from recycled metal drums which have become hallmarks of Haitian craftsmanship. As a result of decades of political turmoil, deforestation, and natural disasters, Haiti is fraught with poverty and hunger. CAH is a portrait of perseverance and success in difficult conditions.
Resourceful artisans in Haiti use recycled 55-gallon oil drums to make their traditional art. They cut out the top and bottom, and flatten the sides using their hands and feet. They clean the drums and any remaining oil residue is burned off. After flattening the drum, the artisan sketches a design on the metal and cuts intricate designs with only a hammer and chisel, using nearly the entire oil drum. After the edges are sanded smooth, the artisan applies varnish to keep the metal from rusting and dries it in the sun. Because Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world (the poorest in the Western Hemisphere), continuing orders for handicrafts are very important for artisans to provide basic needs for their families.
Comite Artisanal Haitien (CAH) gives work to 180 individual Haitian artisans and groups, including the artisans from Cite Soleil and other poor areas in and around Port-au-Prince, who create beautiful works of art from recycled metal drums which have become hallmarks of Haitian craftsmanship. As a result of decades of political turmoil, deforestation, and natural disasters, Haiti is fraught with poverty and hunger. CAH is a portrait of perseverance and success in difficult conditions.