Dubreus LHERISSON

He moves to Port au Prince in 1981 to live with his mother.

He becomes familiar with the art of making voodoo flags in the lakou

(temple) of the voodoo priest Ti-Boute.

As a young child, his mentor ProspèrE thaught him the rites and rhythms of voodoo and soon joined in the rituals.

At the same time, Ti-Boute teaches him about the flags and suggests that he learn how to make them himself: “One day you will be able to use this knowledge.”

 ALONGSIDE ProspèrE, the head of the houmfor (voodoo temple), he learns the technique of applying sequins to fabric. When his teacher dies, Lherisson takes his place as the director of the workshop.

His main source of income at this time is the special sequined clothing he makes for the rara-bands. With this money, Ti-Boute sends him to buy material for the workshop. Very quickly the rumor spreads that the pupil has exceeded the Master….

He marries one of the houngan’s daughters.

When Ti-Boute dies in 1994, everyone thought that the workshop was going to close. At the same time the orders become increasingly rare. This motivates Lherisson to leave Port-au-Prince and scour the countryside for voodoo objects found in the temples to resell them to enlightened collectors.  He quickly realizes that his role as a dealer will overshadow his individuality as an artist.

This becomes the catalyst for him to develop a new style rooted in traditional techniques of making sculptures and flags with fabrics, human skulls, sequins, wax and mirrors.

In 2000, he shows his art to the Monnin Gallery which becomes the first gallery in Haiti to exhibit his unique artwork.

He belongs to a voodoo society by the name of Wongol.

He is not a houngan, he says, as his mentor Ti-Boute did not pass him the torch before dying. In that he was not initiated into the priesthood, he  remains a devoted member of the lakou.

After the devastating earthquake which struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, Lherisson was forced to move back to the countryside as all his belongings, workshop and lakou were instantly destroyed in the quake.

• 2018, PÒTOPRENS: The Urban Artists of Port-au-Prince, collective exhibition, Pioneers Works, Brooklyn, USA.
• 2017, Art et vaudou, collective exhibition, Les Ateliers Jérôme, Pétion-Ville, Haiti.
• 2016, Haïtopia, Haïti and the Politics of Revolution and Representation, collective exhibition, Caribbean Studies Association, Maison Dufort, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
• 2015, Œuvres de Lhérisson Dubréus et de David Boyer, collective exhibition, Les ateliers Jérôme, Pétion-Ville, Haiti.
• 2015, 7th Transcultural forum of contemporary art, collective exhibition, Bel-Air, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
• 2015, Hôtel Marriott, Collective exhibition, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
• 2015, Artistes du mythe et de l’aiguille, Les Ateliers Jérôme, collective exhibition, Pétion-Ville, Haiti.
• 2014-2015, Haïti, deux siècles de création artistique, collective exhibition, Réunion des Musées nationaux – Grand  Palais, galeries nationales, Paris, France.
• 2014, L’art haïtien d’aujourd’hui, collective exhibition, MUPANAH, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
• 2014, Spirit Migration the Fowing, the Fleeting, the Spectral, collective exhibition, galerie BrutEdge, MANA Contemporary Art Center, Newark Avenue, Jersey City, USA.
• 2013- 2014, The Work of Art: Folk Artists in the 21st Century, International Folk-Art Market, Santa Fe, New Mexique.
• 2013, Haïti In Extremis, Mort et vie dans l’art haïtien du 21e siècle, collective exhibition, Musée de la civilisation, Québec, Canada.
• 2013, In extremis, Death and Life in 21st- Century Haitian Art, collective exhibition, Fowler Museum at UCLA: Los Angeles, USA.
• 2013, 4th Sculpture’s Festival, collective exhibition, Institut Français d’Haïti, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
• 2012, Foire artisanale du village artistique de Noailles, collective exhibition-sale, musée Georges Liautaud, Croix-des-Bouquets, Noailles, Haiti.
• 2012, Keeping Haiti in Our Hearts Interpreting Heritage In the Diaspora, collective exhibition, Crealé School of Art and The Hannibal Square Heritage Center, Winter Park, Florida, USA.
• 2012, Biennal of LaHavane, Ayiti a la casa, La Havana, Cuba.
• 2012, Haiti Week, collective exhibition, Origin Gallery, Dublin, Irlande.
• 2012, QUAI BRANLY, Permanent Collection of the Museum, Paris, France.
• 2011, Contemporary Haitian Textiles, collective exhibition, Haitian Cultural Arts Alliance, Little Haïti Cultural Center, Miami, USA.
• 2011, Nomad two Worlds & Galerie Monnin, collective exhibition, Los Angeles, California, USA.
• 2011, World Peace Festival, collective exhibition, Berlin, Germany.
• 2011, Galerie Monnin, collective exhibition, Pétion-Ville, Haiti.
• 2010, Haitian Cultural Arts Alliance, collective exhibition, Miami, USA.
• 2010, Galerie Monnin, collective exhibition, Pétion-Ville, Haïti.
• 2009, Two man show, with Mario Benjamin, collective exhibition, Galerie Monnin, Pétion-Ville, Haïti.
• 2009, Group show, Casa de Campo, Romana, Santo Domingo.
• 2009, Une mémoire vaudou, collective exhibition, Tropenmuseum d’Amsterdam, Holland.
• 2008, Two man show, with Pasko, collective exhibition, Galerie Monnin, Pétion-Ville, Haiti.
• 2008, Une mémoire vaudou, collective exhibition, Musée Ethnologie de Genève, Switzerland.
• 2008, collective exhibition, galerie Monnin, Pétion-Ville, Haiti.
• 2008, with Pascale Monnin, collective exhibition, Galerie Monnin, Pétion-Ville, Haiti.
• 2008, Pasko, Lhérissson, Killy, Cinéus, collective exhibition, Galerie Monnin, Pétion-Ville, Haiti.