WILSON BIGAUD?1931-2010 (Port-au-Prince, Haiti)

It was the legendary Hector Hyppolite who first introduced Wilson Bigaud to le Centre d’Art. A former child prodigy, Bigaud had presented himself as a carver and sculptor, but was introduced to two-dimensional formats by DeWitt Peters. Bigaud soon described himself as a memory painter; and his upbringing amidst the rough and tumble of the city had clearly inspired his imaginings.

Social gambling, Vodou ceremonies and local melodramas were ripe subject-matter for his visual investigations, executed with fearless verve and wit. So significant were Bigaud’s abilities, that his monumental mural The Wedding of Cana was considered to be the most dynamic at the Episcopal Cathedral in Port-au-Prince.

Bigaud’s paintings found their inevitable fame. Yet the pressure of success affected their author. Bigaud grew increasingly uncomfortable and took a series of breaks from art making, returning to it only in his later years. He is today considered one of the greats of le Centre d’Art, with works at the Museum of Modern Art, including the legendary Murder in the Jungle (1950).

Source:
Website of The Gallery of Everything, 2019

Wilson Bigaud joined the Centre d'Art in 1946, and is considered a first generation Haitian master. He was a major contributor to the St. Trinity Cathedral murals with his masterpiece The Wedding at Cana.

His work is included on the Museum of Modern Art collection. Between 1957 and 1961 he suffered a series of nervous breakdowns, and was unable to paint. However, he has recovered and as Haitian art connoisseur Michel Monnin states: "Wilson Bigaud is in the flourish of his second career. Very few artists of any era have approached the ability to render the beat, the humor, the exuberance of everyday life that makes Haiti so unique...it is in this very detail that validates him a prime witness of his epoch."

Source:
Website of Haitian Art Company, June 2019