Re-purposed to Masterpieces

Two weeks ago we talked about all the things that Fair Trade corporations do to stay green and eco-friendly.  And with last weeks blog about Haiti still fresh in our minds, The Welcome Mat has an opportunity to tell you about one of our favorite products: Haitian oil-drum art. In Haiti, fair trade artisans are re-purposing oil drums by cutting and molding them into beautiful and distinctive pieces to hang on our walls.  The process of creation and detail on these crafts is amazing!

    As far as art forms go, this one is fairly new.  Oil drum art was developed in the fifties by an artisan named Georges Liautaud.  He originally worked making crosses for the graveyard but was encouraged to expand his art to the next level by DeWitt Peters, an American teacher and Haitian art patron.  The tradition has since been passed on through apprenticeships and now the town of Croix-des-Bouquets where Liautaud originally made his grave crosses is the hub of oil drum carving and home to an entire oil-drum carving community.

 The creation process for these pieces requires great skill, and use of ones entire body.  First the artisan cuts the ends from the oil drum.  Then a fire is made inside of the drum using dried sugar cane or banana leaves to remove any paint, oil residue, or other sediment from the drum.  Then the barrel is cut vertically and the artisan or his assistant will either climb inside of the drum or on top of it, stretching and using his own weight to flatten out the metal.  He will stretch and push with his limbs and back until the previously cylindrical oil drum lies flat on the ground.


    The artist will then pound the metal sheet to finish the flattening and then trace the outline of the intended image onto the metal with chalk.  Then it is not with any kind of machine that he will cut and carve the picture into the metal but with the simple tools of hammer and chisel.  The end result is a beautiful and unique piece of artwork.  These pieces are a testament to the rich culture of Haiti, and available at The Welcome Mat.  



For more information, go to the following websites: http://www.haitimetalart.com/About_Haitian_Metal_Art.html
http://www.globalexchange.org/blogs/fairtrade/2011/08/29/haitian-artisans-are-creating-artwork-out-of-repurposed-oil-drums/