Georges Auguste (Haitian, b. 1933)

Georges Auguste was born on January 1, 1933, in Vialet, Petit-Goave, Haiti. Auguste received only three years of schooling in his native village. In 1940, his mother died in a fire in their home, and he was placed in an orphanage where he learned weaving. Later, August became a night watchman at an agricultural school in Vialet. During a trip to Port-au-Prince, he met Pierre Eugène, who secured him a position as a night watchman at the Center d'Art. He began to paint, using material left over by the painters at the Center, becoming so enamored of painting that he began to neglect his work. Painting has enabled Auguste to express his sensibilities, traumatized by the fire still painful in his memory. He studied with the painter Nehemy Jean for ten years, but in 1974, he altered his style and began painting scenes of Haitian life the way he "sees it in a dream." André Malraux, in his book "l'Imtemporel, refers to his style as "Raw Art." Aubusson Tapestry chose one of Auguste's paintings (Source: La Peinture Haitienne/ Haitian Arts, Editions Nathan. 1978. page 105). In the rich and intricate patterns of George Auguste's painting, his background as a tapestry maker is evident in how he weaves elements of daily life into paintings that become atmospheric narratives, shown from a "bird's eye" view." A few Haitian art books mentioned his art. Scroll Down to make your selection!