Handmade Metal Art, Boys Selling Sugarcane at Market, Fair Trade 23x23in

Handmade Metal Art, Boys Selling Sugarcane at Market, Fair Trade 23x23in

Artist Profile- Jean Eugene Remy

With a distinctive style and innovative capacity that doesn't quit, Jean Eugene Remy is definitely an artist on the rise. He makes great use of three dimensional imagery and his sculptures are filled with action and detail.

Born in 1984 in Port-au-Prince, his mother was already a widow with 3 small boys to feed. At the age of six, he began working “the iron cut for people,” eventually apprenticing in the workshop of Julio Balan.
He remembers his very first sale with fondness and pride: a voodoo piece, sold to a German customer for $30. (US) Though he is Catholic, it is not uncommon in Haiti to blend Catholic and Voodoo practices and symbolism.

The two are quite compatible in the traditional Haitian view. In 2009, he participated in a “Sirena” exhibition in the Dominican Republic and two years later, travelled to Eaton, Florida as a guest artist. There he demonstrated his craft at the “Zora!” Festival of Arts and Humanities, where the theme for the year was "Remembering Haiti."

Jean Eugene has a vision of art as his life’s work. It is his clearly passion. He says, “I dream of having a golden hammer and making my coffin in a beautiful work of iron."

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.