The issue of Haïtian identity is complex. Each Haïtian connects to our History from a different vantage point . The divergent cultures that make up our heritage are hard to combine visually. Needless to say, this NFT depicts only my own perception and connection to to Haitian Identity. But Dessalines is an element of the story, most of us have an opinion about. Whether in term of admiration or skepticism. The references in this picture should be clear to anyone Haitian, but this is Web3 so I felt like contextualizing.
The title Emperor and the military uniform references the European structures that shaped us prior to our Independence. And are still prevalent in the country today.
The brooch is the symbol of Ogou, post African spirits of War and Politics. They are a nationwide symbol of strength, wisdom, strategy. They are represented by the element of fire, iron and the color red. Its a shout out to the choices those before us made for the island to be a place of black freedom, during a time of worldwide slavery. Also to the practice of ancestral veneration most of us obide by, whether religiously or by principle.
The red bandana references Zoe Pound, a notorious Haitian [redacted] organisation which despite the negative connotations, “Zoe” eventually became our informal way of referencing Haitians living in the states. Zoe Pound started as a way for Haïtians to protect each other from recurring persecution and discrimination.
ethereum://0x3B3ee1931Dc30C1957379FAc9aba94D1C48a5405/130935
Jean-Jacques Dessalines was Haïti s first Emperor. His character has always fascinated me because, in any version of the story, he is described as superhuman, to the point where his energy and beliefs are even more iconic than his looks. Subsequently, his red clothes are the only clear visual reference I have of him and they represent for me a symbol of protection and Haitian sovereignty.
Growing up, most non-Haitian descriptions I read of him, however seemed to focus on his ferocity, his hatred for the french, his cruelty, and almost redundantly, his illiteracy. But eventually realizing, being in an ex-colony and learning my history from books written by the same people that had enslaved us, it was important to me to be able to reappropriate the references that were meant to “define” my identity.
I started using Dessaline’s famous Scarlet uniform as a recurring element in my portraits, linking it to other characters that reminded me of that revolutionary energy and my culture in a more positive light than the constant “cruel illiterate” descriptions. An example is the portrait below of famous Haitian music artist Black Alex, who’s voice and flow inspired a whole generation after him.
A few years ago, in the same spirit, I was inspired to draw a fictional character, the original version of the “Emperor” NFT, which was meant to be a “Young Dessalines”. A version of the hero that was more relatable in age and style, to my generation. I wanted to start the conversation about how we identified to the father of the nation, with people on my socials.
This piece triggered so many positive reactions and conversations from people in my surrounding and sold so fast that I wanted to find a way to share it with more people, as a collectible item. But not prints. I had already told my friends they were allowed to do their own prints of any of my art pieces. I made a collection of silk screened hoodies and sweaters.
This was my first experience with having multiple people owning unique version of the same artwork and selling out each drop before I even announce it. Seeing people wear my art, customizing it to their liking, was heartwarming and having a personal connection with the design.... This type of support meant so much more to me than people buying one painting.
When I first heard about NFT collections and generative projects, I felt like this image had been my first NFT without blockchain. Unfortunately handling the production of garments is way too complicated for me. I thought it could be cool to have an NFT derivative of the design and pass on the rights to print and sell, to whoever collected the NFT. The screens are stored forever at my favorite Screen & Digital Printing shop in NY. So if you end up being the collector, email me when the auction closes and I will pass on all the info and transparency files to you, so you can do whatever you want with them.
With Love,
Yae.