Andre Dimanche (Haitian, 1901-1988)

André V. Dimanche was born in 1901 in Jérémie, Haiti, and passed away in 1988. Working as an agricultural superintendent overseeing a ficus plantation, he spent his days in the countryside, where he began carving mahogany intuitively, guided by the natural form already present in a branch or trunk rather than formal technique. As he once told a journalist asking about his process, he simply took a piece of wood and removed what was in excess. His talent surfaced when he won an award for a sculpture shown at Port-au-Prince's 1949 Bicentenary exhibition, as art historian Gérald Alexis recounts in his 2017 Le Nouvelliste memoir on the sculptor. Albert Mangonès, later celebrated for "The Maroon Slave," introduced him to Port-au-Prince's art community, and American sculptor Jason Seley of the Centre d'Art was captivated by his work. After relocating to Port-au-Prince to sculpt professionally, Dimanche's mahogany figures grew more elongated, echoing modernist influences, while continuing to draw on Haitian folklore and Vodou iconography, including Baron Samedi, Erzulie, and Damballah. His sculptures are now held by collectors and have been exhibited at institutions including the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center in New Jersey. Explore his sculptures below.