1987-present
Works in the Collection
Biography
Born and raised in West Palm Beach FL, (into a Haitian American family of Baptist andVoudoun religion) my childhood was confronted by an identity crisis, largely made up of environmental and spiritual conflicts. The racial identity of the south combined with the amount of violence in my neighborhood made me just another black person. However, at home, I was taught to stand with perfect posture and have pride in my motherland which was the first black-led republic of the world. This gave me experiences unique to West Palm Beach and exposed me to an idiosyncratic vantage of ethnicity, human beings and cultures from around the world. I finally see the world as a rainbow that needs constant balance. Illuminating the inner workings of one painter’s mind.
Ordained at age 19, this fifth generation Haitian Voudon priest struggles to understand his divine title. Dealing with issues such as Hollywood’s depiction of zombies, their creation of race culture. By re-appropriating religious, cultural, political and historical allegories and symbolism, I draw in my audience. The representations that are given to the public are meant to be understood in the context of art. Known for experimental installations which ask us to contemplate and re-evaluate our roles in the dystopian society in which we are born into. Encouraging the viewer and participant to activate and embrace their own divine birthrights. My performance as Kool Kid Kreyola, offers a new insight into my painting content through the power of parody, which combats contemporary hypocrisy and historical ignorance and inaccuracies. Under the guise of community and growth, I want to explore positive conceptions of ethnicity and identity. My work will highlight simplicity and love building bodies that are recorders of life energy, happiness, hope, and the positive side of humanity. By asking hard questions such as who am I, in song in dance we deconstruction social constructions and we are able to acknowledge the existence of the oneness of our human family offering optimism as a result.
– https://erlin-geffrard.squarespace.com/paintings-1/