We had the privilege of getting to know Annick Duvivier, a visual artist who creates beautiful, vibrant, and colorful paintings. Read our conversation or watch it below!

Hello Annick! How did you begin your journey into the world of art?

I was 12 years old when I started painting. My mom always had art materials around. She was an architect. She sent me to art classes because I couldn’t stay seated in one place. Later on in life, I studied fine arts and visual arts.

Awesome! What art disciplines have you explored as an artist and why?

I started drawing with pencils then, I moved on to drawing with charcoal. Then, I went to acrylic painting then, oil painting. Acrylic I loved so I stayed creating with it because it dried so fast and I was able to paint multiple layers and different pieces at the same time. I come and go with oil painting. Next, I got into printmaking. I also have done ceramic sculptures and illustrations. As I moved through the different mediums, I found that my favorite one has to be collage. I do a lot of mixed media collage. I paint, then, I collage, then, I paint again. So, it’s really a love process.

You’ve written and illustrated a children’s book titled, James and Marie Become Friends. What was your motivation for becoming an author and writing a children’s book?

I’ve been an illustrator for the past 10 years. I’ve illustrated over 15 books – lots of Haitian bilingual literature, which were in Haitian Creole and English. But, I wanted to tell my own story and experiences through the eyes of children. I have a three-year-old and I thought what are all the things I want to teach my daughter about Haiti? My writing is about the positive things of Haiti as I compare Haitian to American culture. For example, I compare in the book the way we celebrate Independence Day. In Haitian culture, the little girl, Marie is seen eating pumpkin soup while in American culture they eat hamburgers and there are always fireworks during that time of celebration. So, it’s little things like that about the different cultures that make the book super fun. I really enjoyed writing and illustrating it.

Congratulations on writing your first book, Annick! Besides your book, what is one of your greatest accomplishments as an artist?

I actually have many. I have my sixth solo show coming up at the Intercontinental Miami for Haitian Heritage Month. My art has been featured in one of the top seven museums in the United States, which is the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. My work has been placed in the public art collection for the City of Tamarac, the Miami International Airport and a women’s and children’s hospital in Texas. There are a lot of things that have happened over the years that I am proud of accomplishing.

Awesome! How has your art positively impacted the lives of others from stories and feedback you’ve heard?

The different pieces that I create have different stories. My very first exhibit in 2010 was right after an earthquake. The exhibit was called Energy. This exhibit took place at a time when I was in a dark place. I started painting without stopping. I painted for six months. I wanted to bring back energy to the people of the country of Haiti. I ended up selling out that show. I had 30 pieces exhibiting and it was amazing to get the feedback from the public.

What is your most famous piece of artwork and can you tell us the backstory about it?

My most famous piece is titled, Strange Fruit and Ripe. It’s an image that has been displayed on the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau’s website. It represents feet. It’s my interpretation of the song by Billie Holiday titled, Strange Fruit. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s about lynching in the South. I painted hanging feet from a tree. It’s not bloody, not like how you would expect it to be. The feet almost look to be levitating. If you are not familiar with the song, you won’t understand what it is. If you know of that song, then, you will know exactly what it means and it will give you goosebumps. I think that is my most powerful piece as well. That was the piece that was accepted into the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago for black creativity. I traveled there and it was an amazing exhibit. Strange Fruit and Ripe was exhibited for four months at the museum.

Do you have any projects that you are currently working on?

I have the exhibit for Haitian Heritage Month at the Intercontinental Miami that is in partnership with collaboARTive. collaboARTive gives artists space in the lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel to work and exhibit every Monday called Noche de Arte. It will be open to the public from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM in May. Besides that, I am going to do a book reading and signing in Fort Myers in a children’s school. I am really excited! I will also be exhibiting my works at the Island SPACE Caribbean Museum.

Book reading of “James and Marie Become Friends” at Miami Dade College North Campus. This was part of the Florida Humanities Presante Haiti.

Have you presented at Art Basel before?

I have presented in different shows. This year, I will be presenting at AfriKin. I’ve been presenting with them for the past two years. I really love how they display exhibits and all the different events they create around the art. For instance, they have a fashion show, different art talks, a food and music events. It’s an experience to be there. I love how they talk about the art and the artists.

How long does it usually take you to prepare for a show?

In preparing for a show, there are different parts to it. There is the actual creation of the piece depending on the size. I always give myself a month so, I can pause and look at it, critique it and continue to see what I need to fix. Then, there is another part that artists don’t usually talk about like preparing the statement, which is the story behind the piece. There is taking the photograph of the art because everything should be documented. You will need pictures when applying for grants and anything else in the future. There is the preparation of the backside of the piece meaning you have to write your name, the medium and the year of the piece. Once all of that is done then, it’s time to apply for the show. This process could take two months to get everything ready to apply.

That’s interesting! Before we started this interview, you mentioned the painting behind you is one of your works. Can you explain the meaning behind it?

It’s called Bird of Paradise. The Bird of Paradise plant is native to tropical countries. This plant in the painting reminds me of Haiti because it is so warm in its colors and I contrasted it with green. I’m always thinking about Haiti, my home country when I am creating. I have a lot of pieces that I’ve created of plants that are native from there or Caribbean-inspired.

Bird of Paradise – 40″x80 ” Acrylic on canvas (2024)

Daydreaming of Miami – 60×96 diptych Acrylic and fiber on canvas (2024)

5 O’clock somewhere – 48″x48 ” Acrylic on canvas (2024)

Serene Paradise – 48”x108“ triptych Acrylic on canvas (2024)

Can the public purchase your artwork?

Of course!

How can people stay connected with you?

I am on Instagram and I have a website, where my art can be purchased. I ship directly.

Thank you so much Annick for allowing us to get to know about your artistry!

Thank you, Arts Decoder!

Contact Annick Duvivier

Website: www.annickduvivier.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/annickduvivier

Photos Courtesy Of Annick Duvivier