From the Haitian Rubble Rises Song and Fine Art

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In the aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, we are reminded of the resiliency of the human spirit, writes Edward Cody for The Washington Post. Haitians are weaving the terror and devastation of the quake's story into music and paintings.
 
"[I]n their ramshackle studios or in borrowed back rooms, using scavenged oils and makeshift easels, Haitian artists have begun painting the first canvases that seek to depict the horror of the quake and proclaim a tenacious hope that things will get better, if only because they can't get worse," Cody writes.
 
For one artist, Dorvelus Gerald, the income from the sale of his paintings will go towards rebuilding his home, his life and that of his family. The work has also served as a catharsis. Gerald told the Post he would only create two paintings on the earthquake. "The earth turns, and so does our spirit," he told the Post. "With these paintings, I have expelled the evil of the earthquake from my brain."
 
Toni Monnin, originally from Texas who runs an art gallery in Port au Prince with her husband, told the Post that she expects to see a continued evolution within quake-related artistic expression as artists shift their focus from tragedy to one of resiliency and hope.
 
"Haitian artists don't like to show that side of life," Monnin told the Post. "So they embellish things. It's unusual to see them emphasize the negative side of things."
 
Interested in reading more on Haiti? Take a look at this piece on the sometimes hidden agendas of those providing help for Haiti.
 
(Photo credit: Marcello Casal Jr/ABr; C.C. 2.5)