WASHINGTON, DC.- Foregrounding Haiti’s significance as the world’s first free Black republic, Spirit & Strength: Modern Art from Haiti presents some of the most prominent artists to have lived or worked there over the past century. Featuring paintings by trailblazing Haitian artists like Rigaud Benoit, Hector Hyppolite, and Philomé Obin, Spirit & Strength also includes works by renowned contemporary artists Myrlande Constant and Edouard Duval-Carrié. They are joined by African American artists like Lois Mailou Jones, Jacob Lawrence, and William Edouard Scott, who looked to Haiti as a source of inspiration, demonstrating the remarkable reach of Haitian artistic production. On view from September 29, 2024, through March 9, 2025, Spirit & Strength is the first chance to see 21 works by modern and contemporary Haitian artists recently given to the National Gallery of Art by Kay and Roderick Heller and Beverly and John Fox Sullivan.

“Spirit & Strength is a landmark exhibition for the National Gallery, featuring works by Haiti’s most preeminent artists, who are now represented in our collection for the first time. Their range of expressions demonstrate the diversity of modern art, as well as the joy, beauty, and gravity of Haitian history and culture, which remains influential across the African Diaspora and beyond,” said Kanitra Fletcher, associate curator of African American and Afro-Diasporic art.

Organized thematically, Spirit & Strength presents paintings, textiles, and works on paper by some of the most significant artists from Haiti’s past and present. The roots of Haitian modernism can be found in the Indigenist movement of the 1920s, when artists and writers came together to develop a national identity inspired by folklore and popular culture. Over the next several decades, artists developed their own styles based on personal interests, worldviews, social roles, and geographic locations. With the support of the Centre d’Art, their success brought international attention to Haitian art, particularly from African American artists.

The exhibition begins with Haiti’s national history and depictions of everyday life. After winning their independence from France in 1804, Haitians endeavored to form an economy and establish their own democracy while honoring their traditions. Works from the mid-20th to the early 21st century range from boisterous market scenes to solemn portraits of government officials. They shed light on historical events that were erased or obscured in coverage outside the country.

The second room focuses on Vodou lwas (spirits) and biblical narratives. Expressive paintings and textiles depict the distinctive characters of the lwas. Some works include vèvès, geometric symbols that together form a language of signs, each used to invoke a particular lwa during rituals. Others draw on Vodou traditions to create surrealistic imagery that seems to occupy a space between dreams and reality.

The final room examines Haitian influence on African American artists who traveled to Haiti from the 1930s to the 1980s. In the early 20th century, African American creatives began traveling outside the United States to work and study in places with a significant Black presence. Many found inspiration in Haiti’s revolutionary history and identified with Haiti’s struggles against racism and imperialism. Interested in exploring their shared African roots, these artists produced important work influenced by and depicting their time in Haiti. Their art reflects the significance of Haitian history and culture in the wider African Diaspora.

Spirit & Strength also features a reading room with ambient Haitian music and texts for adults and children, inviting visitors to learn more about Haiti and its influences on modern art.