This past year, Darnelle Louis-Jacques and I put together something Atlanta hadn't seen before: a show that put a Haitian artist and a Dominican artist side by side, both of us tracing our lines back to the same Taíno roots our two countries share.
Ayiti-Quisqueya: Nexus of the Taíno ran August 9 through September 20, 2025 at ArtsXchange, curated by Tisha Smith around three ideas — Taíno mythology and aesthetics, the real tension that still exists between Haiti and the Dominican Republic today, and what she called the radical act of unity through art. It was built to be a place for cultural reconciliation, a conversation that's historical and current, painful and hopeful, all at once.
Because of our countries' history, this show didn't land the same way with everyone. We heard negative commentary from people on both sides of the island — old wounds don't disappear just because two artists decide to stand together. But we also felt an outpouring of positive support that outweighed it, people who understood exactly why this show needed to exist.
I'm honored that three of my paintings from this show sold, and even more honored knowing they're being cherished by the people who hold them now.
Thank you to Marsy Santos for the beautiful installation and for documenting the whole process when we could barely think straight ourselves. Thank you to Tisha Smith for the guidance and curation that shaped this entire show. And thank you to Darnelle for trusting this idea from the start and bringing her whole vision into it alongside mine.