Milagro Cross, Decorative Wall Hanging Spiritual Plaques, Handcrafted in Haiti from Recycled Oil Barrels, One-of-a-Kind 13x16

Artist Profile- Winston Cajuste

“Two friends, they give me a job to flatten 5 drums. It was my first experiment and I practiced it with naked hands. It tore my hands, but they gave me money and that put much joy in my heart. In the following day, they gave me 10 drums to flatten. Quickly, I completed them and they gave me much more money. It was one of my more beautiful memories that I now had my own moneys.” Thus begins the story of Winston Cajuste's work in metal sculpture.

“I cut out my first drums with a man called Meda. I benefited from this and thought about creating my own works. The first one of my own was a musician. On that basis, I created many others different models.”
Winston is a man with a close association to the spiritual world. Although Voodoo is an integral and vibrant part of Haitian cultural and spiritual life, the country is actually considered by academics to be over 80 percent Catholic. Like its Creole language, however, religion is blended in Haiti. Winston’s themes tend to reflect angels and nativity scenes very recognizable in Western culture, though with unmistakable Creole flavor.

When he thinks back upon the time of the 2010 earthquake, Winston recalls that catastrophe in great detail. “I go home to see many bodies through the street, people seriously wounded, houses completely destroyed, and parents screaming for their children. All things have blocks at this time. My family had no house, no water, nor the bank or even food available. During the night my family sleep on the street for two weeks, not even a piece of cloth to cover us.” In desperate need of relief, it came quickly from Beyond Borders. “That is when the first person who think of us was Casey, with money to help. We did not even believe of so very nice gesture as that.”

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.

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.