Louisane Saint Fleurant (Haitian, 1924-2005)

Louisane Saint-Fleurant (1924–June 1, 2005) was a Haitian painter born in Petit-Trou-de-Nippes, widely regarded as the “godmother” of the Saint-Soleil School of Painters. The Saint-Soleil movement was established under the guidance of Jean-Claude “Tiga” Garoute and Maud Robart and developed in Soisson-la-Montagne, roughly fifty kilometers from Port-au-Prince. Beginning in 1978, Saint-Fleurant participated in numerous exhibitions in Haiti and internationally, becoming one of the most remarkable and influential artists associated with this groundbreaking artistic school. Saint-Fleurant’s work is central to the Saint-Soleil vision, which brought a powerful new image to Haitian painting through instinctive creation, spiritual intensity, and a language that appeared free from external academic influences. The movement attracted international attention for its originality and its connection to Haiti’s Vodou cosmology and ritual imagination. As André Malraux observed of the Saint-Soleil painters, “it is impossible to determine where it came from or to whom it speaks,” emphasizing the school’s mysterious immediacy and universal resonance.In L’Intemporel, Malraux offers a notable analysis of Saint-Soleil and cites Louisane Saint-Fleurant to illustrate its spiritual dimension, explaining that Vodou provides one of the most direct paths toward understanding the movement’s creative process. In this view, the painter creates because he or she is “mounted” (possessed) and paints what the loa, or Vodou spirit, wishes. Saint-Fleurant’s legacy remains foundational to the Saint-Soleil school and to modern Haitian art, where her work continues to be valued for its authenticity, spiritual force, and cultural significance. Scroll down to make your selection (s)