Daveed Baptiste
Spring 2024 Cycle Honorable Mention – Photography
Brooklyn, NY @daveedbaptiste
Featuring: Daveed Baptiste
Curated by: Régine M. Roumain Emily Schiffer
Presented by: Haiti Cultural Exchange At Photoville
Artist Statement Biography
There is an intentional sentimentality throughout my work, which is most often reflected in the staging of each photograph, from the constructed sets I design, to the familiar material choices and cultural mainstays I choose to incorporate. Even the locations featured, a cornerstone of my work whether real or manufactured, are symbolic, What is revealed is a metaphysical journey of the hood gangster and the single Black immigrant woman across different stages of being: the innocuous immigrant, the assimilated Black “hood” American, and the spirituality-awakened / spiritually-saved self. In two of my most important projects, Ti Mâché and Haiti to the Hood, I revisit these notions and preserve the memories and experiences of those living in Little Haiti, Miami.
Haiti to the Hood is a Haitian-American photo series, where I construct sets that are reimagined moments in time, captured through the lens of Haitian immigrants. Within each tableau, I incorporate familiar elements from traditional Haitian households, such as furniture, tapestry, paintings, statuettes, utensils, etc. Sometimes, I digitally design my own surface materials to provide deeper, relevant touchpoints or context, and use them as curtains, wallpaper, sheets, and even artwork. Most of the objects in my sets are printed, which creates an element of uncertainty for the viewer, who is unable to isolate the real from the fabricated. While the images appear to be cinéma vérité, they are staged to reinforce a cataclysm. Once a set is complete, I invite members of the Haitian community to reenact scenes that served as turning points in their lives.
There is an intentional sentimentality throughout my work, which is most often reflected in the staging of each photograph, from the constructed sets I design, to the familiar material choices and cultural mainstays I choose to incorporate. Even the locations featured, a cornerstone of my work whether real or manufactured, are symbolic, What is revealed is a metaphysical journey of the hood gangster and the single Black immigrant woman across different stages of being: the innocuous immigrant, the assimilated Black “hood” American, and the spirituality-awakened / spiritually-saved self. In two of my most important projects, Ti Mâché and Haiti to the Hood, I revisit these notions and preserve the memories and experiences of those living in Little Haiti, Miami.
Haiti to the Hood is a Haitian-American photo series, where I construct sets that are reimagined moments in time, captured through the lens of Haitian immigrants. Within each tableau, I incorporate familiar elements from traditional Haitian households, such as furniture, tapestry, paintings, statuettes, utensils, etc. Sometimes, I digitally design my own surface materials to provide deeper, relevant touchpoints or context, and use them as curtains, wallpaper, sheets, and even artwork. Most of the objects in my sets are printed, which creates an element of uncertainty for the viewer, who is unable to isolate the real from the fabricated. While the images appear to be cinéma vérité, they are staged to reinforce a cataclysm. Once a set is complete, I invite members of the Haitian community to reenact scenes that served as turning points in their lives.
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