This story is for those whose identity falls on a blurry line, for diaspora children who are stuck between two cultures, and are learning they don’t have to pick one.
Haiti To Hood examines the social dynamics within Haitian-American identity. Daveed Baptiste constructs sets of intimate living spaces out of material elements that reference Haitian livelihood. He sources inspiration from his upbringing in America, his immigration to this land, and the resilience and innovation of the Haitian communities he grew up in. Daveed constructs these home environments by digitally rendering his own patterns to screen print onto various fabrics to make curtains, sheets, and artworks which hang within the built environments. The common home in his images is composed of objects and surfaces, which at times symbolize financial status, choice, and personality. The way they are positioned, styled, aged, and lived on, narrate the dual identity of the objects and the people within the home.
Artist Bios
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Daveed Baptiste
Daveed Baptiste is a multidisciplinary maker working in fashion design, photography, and textiles. His migration from Haiti to America inspires all of his work. As an immigrant and queer person, his work examines the multidimensional identities of the Caribbean diaspora living in the United States. Through collaborative projects and various mediums, his work aims to decolonize notions of race, gender, and class within the Haitian community and greater Caribbean diaspora. He is a recent Parsons graduate with a BFA in Fashion Design. His photographs have been published in The New Yorker and VOGUE, and he has exhibited at Red Hook Labs and Aperture.
Daveed’s Lakou NOU project, Between Lands (East Flatbush) centers Haitian-American youths’ migration stories. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there were no graduation ceremonies in 2020. Daveed partnered with The Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project and Rogers Tilden Veronica Garden to create graduation portraits of newly arrived Haitian youth. Daveed collaborated with each senior to create a backdrop that represents their personality and aspirations. His textile collages delve further into each individual’s dreams and imaginations in America.
Organizations
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Haiti Cultural Exchange
Haiti Cultural Exchange is a non-profit organization established to develop, present and promote the cultural expressions of the Haitian people. We seek to raise awareness of social issues and foster cultural understanding and appreciation through programs in the arts, education, and public affairs. Our programs and services seek to support emerging and established artists, promote cross-cultural exchanges, preserve our cultural heritage, and encourage dialogue around contemporary social issues.
Haiti to Hood
Featuring: Daveed Baptiste
Curated by: Régine M. Roumain Emily Schiffer
Locations
View Location Details Brooklyn Bridge Park – New Dock StreetNew Dock Street and Water Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
This location is part of Brooklyn Bridge Park
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Location open 24 hours
