Sophia Lacroix (Haitian-American, b.1969)

"My art is a reflection of my love for Haiti, the land of my birth. I paint about the Haiti of my childhood, that version of my land, and its beautifully unique people that truly exist just in my memory. I know that the Haiti of the '70s and early 80's no longer exists, especially after the devastating earthquake of 2010. I know I could never go home. However, when I escape into one of my paintings, it is as if I am transported back to the beautiful mountains and beaches, the noisy, colorful, and fragrant marketplace of Petion-Ville, the children I used to play within backyards or at the public Place Saint Pierre and Bicentenaire. Every coup de crayon (blow of pencil), every brushstroke, every completed oeuvre (work of art) is my way of paying, an homage to the land of my birth, My Haiti Chérie."