Twenty-six-year old, Canadian-born Haitian artist Allan Andre believes art is another form of communication.
“I’m not an abstract artist; I like to convey a message,” he says. “My work gives me an opportunity to speak about things I care about. I want my work to be genuine and important.”
As a child Andre recalls asking his older sister, who drew and painted, to create drawings for him. Since then he has made it a point to learn from the experiences and talents of those he admires and has never looked back. He even remembers making a display for Canada’s Remembrance Day while in the 8th grade.
His first live painting event was in September 2012. Since January he has raised over $1,000 for a variety of organizations. The latest charity, called The Smile Train is dedicated to helping children with cleft palettes. His piece sold for $700 with the money going to help three children in need of reconstructive surgeries.
In February, in honor of Black History Month, Andre was approached to participate in two large TD Bank sponsored events: Cultural Ambiguity and An(other) Antilles. The first event, based in Ottawa, was a contemporary art exhibition celebrating culture and showcasing his work and other artists. The second event, based inToronto, was a one-night installation that merged documentary film and visual art.
To keep pushing the boundaries of his work Allan has begun creating more 3-dimensional pieces.
“The whole idea behind installation is to bring the other senses into play as opposed to strictly being visual…it brings another depth to the work.” Look out for his first solo exhibition later this year.
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