Artisans & Producers

Meet Johnson Augustin - Master Sculptor

Meet the Artisan

Johnson Augustin lives in the town of Croix des Bouquets, also known as the noisiest town in Haiti. Haiti is a country rife with political strife and conflict. There is little opportunity for employment in Haiti and more than 80% of Haitians live on less than two dollars a day. It is not unusual for power outages to last months at a time in Haiti. Johnson, the oldest of 11 children got a break or an opportunity for a better life when he turned 14. Johnson was mentored by one of Haiti’s most renowned cut metal artists, Serge Jolimeau and would practice the work as an apprentice after school.

Johnson was still an apprentice in 1998 but decided that it was time for him to start making his own designs. One of Johnson’s successful designs is the tree of life sculpture pictured on this page. This has been a long standing popular seller at Global Gifts. Johnson has earned international acclaim for his craftsmanship. Last year, he received second prize for the UNESCO “Seal of Excellence,” which guarantees that a handicraft product meets the highest quality standards, is culturally authentic, and is environmentally friendly. With the money Johnson earns he is building a home for he, his wife, and their teenage daughter. Johnson now runs his own workshop and is able to employ some of his neighbors.

History of Oil Drum Art

The art of Haiti’s cut metal sculpture is attributed originally to Georges Liautaud. He was the first to see an opportunity out of what was a problem for the town of Croix des Bouquets. This town is where oil drums from all over the country of Haiti were dumped. Georges Liautaud was a blacksmith in the town and he had the idea of opening an old oil drum, flattening it, and then sculpting it. He did his first oil drum art in the 1950’s. He then helped his neighbors to learn the skills too. Metal sculpting has grown in Croix des Bouquets, it is said that is all you see people do there, and thus it has become the noisiest town in Haiti.

STEPS TO CREATING OIL DRUM SCULPTURES

First oil drums are burned out for cleaning. They are then cut open and flattened into a sheet. Then a piece is selected for the project as shown above.

The design is drawn with chalk.

The design is brought forward with hammer and chisel.

Finishing touches include sanding, brushing, and then spraying with lacquer. This final piece shown with Johnson at the top left of the screen, was completed through about 8 different steps. Because he is so skilled, he was able to complete the piece in a little over an hour.