Evens Arcelin | Expressing Metamorphosis in Human Existence

Featured Series:
‘Disembodied’ & ‘The Living’

“Art is the private means with which I treat my thoughts, my concerns, and my joy. The forms and the colors are the expressions of perfect inner harmony towards infinity, and which is little aware of the wonders of the creation in the formation of the work.” – Evens Arcelin

Disembodied

These works are divided into two series. The first is “Disembodieds,” a new series based on a work originally created in 2003 and destroyed for superstitious reasons. In 2021, the theme resurfaced in a realistic style. I decided to revisit this theme in order to explain a lesser-known aspect of witchcraft and voodoo. The series comprises eight paintings, each with a distinct title, such as “Metamorphosis” and “Trance.” The stories are inspired by evening tales from elders, who, as teenagers, believed that these myths were created to ease the mind. However, through their progression, it’s recognized that these transformations—changing from human to animal depending on one’s involvement—were very real for them.

The concepts expressed are first posed to myself and to observers as questions on universal and specific themes of human existence.
The formal images and compositions I create employ a figurative and abstract approach to testify to what I understand and what I see in nature, which constantly reveals dazzling things to me.

In the creative trial, works are more formidable than others. Many are born in great difficulties; what matters is patience and listening to art. Because chaos achieved on the surface will soon bring many desired results.

Anything that could leave a mark during this creation process is used, including coffee grounds, markers, spray, oil stick, and paint.
Painting is what makes me free and allows me to exteriorize myself best; my main source of inspiration is my daily life.”

• Evens Arcelin

Evens Arcelin

Evens Arcelin (Artistic name Hiram. Abi) lives and works in the US. His first encounter with painting was in 1995 at a hair salon, where, after a client noticed his drawing and gifted him a box of watercolor paint, he developed an interest in painting. Inspired, he decided to leave his position at the salon a few days later to pursue painting full-time.
Evens then attended various workshops, particularly those of his older brother Frantzy Arcelin. There, he was introduced to naive painting before transitioning to realism, which he regarded as a personal space to explore the boundaries of artistic freedom.
Evens Arcelin exhibited both in Haiti and abroad. In 2005, he participated in the exhibition ‘Trends of the young Haitian painting’ at the Haitian Art Museum of the College St Pierre. In 2013, he was chosen for the exhibition ‘Save the Museum’ with the Toussaint Louverture committee at the Wilmer Jennings gallery.
From 2019 to 2022, he exhibited in France with the Salon des Independents (Art Capital). In 2022, he received the Gold List Artist Award, published internationally by Art Market Magazine Edition #7. Arcelin’s work has also been published in Art Market Magazine Monthly Edition #75, which featured two of his fantastic series: Pleasure and Phidias.

“The body is the determining factor that attracts the gaze of one or the other towards you and produces this feeling, this desire, this sometimes delirious dream of wanting to hire, suck, caress, then comes the beauty that helps to appreciate and love the body of the other. This would mean that we are ambulatory antennas that capture and relay signals from one body to another, or to any other body, depending on the frequency emitted. This series praises the body as being a premium matter and the sexual rapprochement of the human being, at the same time, loved his soul and his mind.”

‘The Living’

“The Living” explores the physical body as a central force that attracts attention and stirs desire. It investigates how beauty enables individuals to appreciate and love one another, suggesting that humans act as receivers and transmitters of signals between bodies, with attraction influenced by subtle cues. This series celebrates the human body as both a physical and sensual medium, while also addressing the connection between physical attraction, the soul, and the mind.”