Gérard Valcin (Haitian,1925-1988)

Gérard Valcin was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 1925 and passed away on May 15, 1988. Raised in poverty, his first job as a tile setter allowed him to support himself while he began painting. This early trade left a lasting influence on his artistic style—his tightly ordered, geometric placement of figures, grass, and trees reflects the precision and patterning of tile work. Valcin joined the Centre d’Art in 1950 and is now regarded as one of the most important artists of Haiti’s second generation—an icon of the naïve tradition. His paintings, often centered on Vodou imagery, flow from a rich imagination and deep cultural understanding. Dedicated to nurturing talent, he introduced his half-brother Pierre-Joseph Valcin and his nephew Favrange Valcin (Valcin II) to DeWitt Peters, and he personally trained several artists, including Madsen Mompremier, Dieudonné Rouanez, and Louis Joseph. Valcin’s works are included in major institutional collections such as the Musée d’Art Nader and the Musée d'Art Haïtien du Collège Saint-Pierre in Port-au-Prince, the Milwaukee Art Museum, and the Waterloo Museum of Art in Iowa. His paintings have also appeared in significant exhibitions of naïve art curated by Oto Bihalji-Mérin in England, Germany, Zagreb, and Paris, as well as in exhibitions organized by Georges S. Nader in Caracas, Santo Domingo, and New Jersey. Bihalji-Mérin ranks him prominently in his seminal book Masters of Naïve Art, a testament to Valcin’s global importance. Gérard Valcin remains a foundational figure in Haitian art, revered for his imaginative vision, cultural authenticity, and influential role in shaping new generations of Haitian painters. Scroll Down To Make Your Selection (s)!