Handcrafted Haitian Metal Art, Bugs & Birds on Flower, Sustainable Home Decor

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.