Through sharing, we all find common ground,

inspiration, hope, meaning, and, ultimately, action!

(Unknown author)

Credit/Anecdotal

acknowledgement

Tiga, Jean Claude Garoute (December 9, 1935 – December 14, 2006)

Famous Haitian artist, painter, sculptor, ceramist, poet, musician, was internationally renowned and has exhibited worldwide.

Founder of two art galleries and cultural centers, Poto Mitan and KayTiga, in Port-au-Prince;

Co-founder of the Saint-Soleil Movement in Soisson-La-Montagne, a cultural village that promotes the arts as a basis for social development. André Malraux, a French writer, fascinated by his brilliant teaching method called it “the most striking experiment in magical painting in our century!” He then dedicated a chapter to that movement in his book L’Intemporel.

Tiga developed his particular technique called “Soleil Brulé,” a method that combines ink and acid to create amazing effects.

 In 1994, he was the recipient of the Gold Medal at Second Biennial, held at the Museum of Modern Art in the Dominican Republic.

 

He has left behind a tremendous cultural legacy in Haiti.

Thanks to AliatigaCollection for the use of this “Tour de Force” by Tiga. It speaks volumes to me about the importance of sharing experiences and knowledge: An energetic communication between two awakened beings, surrounded by a community of conditioned minds in the background…

Tiga… A Master that lives on!

Conscious and humbled by Tiga’s enormous contribution to the Haitian culture, my short-lived experience with him as my art teacher at Poto Mitan taught me that the purpose of human life is to support one another to reach our potential individually and collectively. Tiga’s vastness contrasted with his physical frame. He was just tremendous! He served as a muse to a whole generation of artists in Haiti, and he left a method of teaching that is key to overcoming the fear of self-expression in our society.