Artibonite Artists The painters of the Artibonite region in central Haiti, where Hôpital Albert Schweitzer is located, have developed their own style, which is quite recognizable. The style began with Saincilus Ismaël, the recently deceased great master of the region, who was influenced by Byzantine art he had seen in books. Ismaël began to paint in 1956 after visiting the Centre d’Art in Port-au- Prince. His paintings are marked by exquisite detail. Every article of clothing, house, or tree is painted with a different intricate geometric pattern. Delouis Jean-Louis grew up in Petite Rivière under the influence of Ismaël. Although he worked under Ismaël for 15 years, he never had formal painting lessons. He began painting to make money, but gradually began to paint carefully executed scenes from his imagination. Alix Dorléus also learned to paint with Ismaël and Mrs. Mellon. He paints all day long and will paint anywhere he feels the spirit to motivate him. His best paintings are detailed depictions, like activity maps, of daily life in the Artibonite Valley.		by Alix Dorléus Artistic Traditions Religious Culture Vodou Gods Artibonite Artists Home