Gesner Abelard (born 22 February 1922) was a Haitian painter and sculptor. Born in
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...
, Abelard began life as a mechanic, then studied painting and sculpture at the Industrial School of Port-au-Prince under the painter
Humberman Charles. He became a member of the Haitian
Centre d'Art in 1948. In 1949, he received a bronze medal at the
International Exposition
A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...
celebrating the bicentennial of Port-au-Prince. Many of his paintings depict birds, trees and scenes of Haitian life, and he is considered a
naïve art
Naïve art is usually defined as visual art that is created by a person who lacks the formal education and training that a professional artist undergoes (in anatomy, art history, technique, perspective, ways of seeing). When this aesthetic is ...
ist. Abelard is believed to be deceased.
References
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1922 births
Possibly living people
Haitian artists
Haitian painters
Haitian male painters
Haitian sculptors
Naïve painters
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He painted The Garden of Eden —sold in 1970– along with other numerous Naive works brought to the U.S. by Yvette Mimieux and Elaine Hollingsworth the same year. When Papa Duvalier died their involvement ended.