Biography

Fortuné Gérard was born in Pétion-Ville in the late 20's or early 30's. His father and brother were stonemasons.,
He has always been known by his first name. He has spent most of his life
working as a pastry chef for the haute cuisine of the elite in Pétion-Ville.
He is also a houngan. He began to paint in the early 1980's.
Living in a small house above Pétion-Ville, he painted painting after painting, selling them for $25.00 apiece, good or bad.
Gérard himself did not distinguish the difference in quality between his works;
he left that up to the gallery owners. To him pictures were just pictures, and each canvas he started gave him ideas for the next.
He lived without electricity or running water, painting by the light of a lantern as darkness fell.
To Gérard, nothing is terrifying or sacred. He puts irreverent humor into his paintings..
.a cigarette into the mouth of Damballla or Papa Doc passing the power to a "baskethead" (Baby Doc).
Gérard is a prolific, self-taught artist whose work is creative, imaginative and unique.
His work has been featured in the May 1990 issue of Art & Antiques magazine,
Selden Rodman's "Where Art is Joy - Haitian Art: The First Forty Years" and many other recent books.
Gérard's work is widely collected and has been exhibited in Europe.