Handcrafted Haitian Folk Art, Tree of Life with Bird, Vintage Metal Art 10"x10.5"

Artist- Roberto Saint Preux
“I am happy to tell you where I am from and where I want to go,” begins Roberto Saint Preux. “I was born in Croix-des-Bouquets, the first of 7 children to my mother and father. We were not too rich or too poor, that is to say, we got by on what we had. But when I was ten, my father died. Nothing in life was as before. My mother was a seamstress, but there was no longer money to go to school, so we had to stop. That’s when I began the iron cut. Later, when I was 20, my mother died. Now my brothers and sisters are my responsibility.”

Roberto continues, saying, “I began with Winston Cajuste and Nicolson Mathieu. They paid me money from their hands. I fed my brothers and sisters with it and it encouraged me to work much more. I look to nature – the trees and animals – and I create new designs. I want to be one of the greatest artists of the present. This is my job and I love it with all my heart.”

Fair trade isn't just a good idea - its the way we do business.

We offer a hand up, not a hand out to our artist partners in Haiti. Each sale of their metal sculptures represents a positive step toward a better life.

The center of Haitian metal sculpture is the village of Croix-des-Bouquets, where the clanging sound of hammers striking chisels is a constant music. To begin, the artist chalks his design onto the metal. Chisels, dies and a large hammer are used to cut and shape the piece, giving it form and texture. When the highly intricate and physically demanding work is complete and the artist is satisfied with his work, he signs his name boldly with a small chisel and applies a clear, weather-proof coating. The result is a wonderful, fair trade piece of handcrafted art.

It's Cactus takes the artists through the next steps. By collaborating with them on design creation, placing orders, paying fair wages, and taking Haitian metal sculptures to the global market, great strides are made in helping the craftsmen of Croix-des-Bouquets help themselves. Guided by cultural respect and conscientious business practice, Beyond Borders and its Haitian artists work toward their mutual goals of uplifting lives.

This metal sculpture is meant for display indoors or out, but if you choose to display yours outside, be aware that the protective, weather-proof coating will wear off over time. To keep your sculpture looking just like it did the day you bought it, take five minutes once a year to apply a spray-on clear enamel coating.

A few nails and a hammer are all you'll need to hang your sculpture. Look for a place where the design is joined or notched and put the first nail there. Use a second and possibly a third nail, if the piece is large, in other joined or notched design elements within the sculpture to straighten and secure it to the wall. The nails will "disappear" with the piece. Simple as that.