The Ceremony
M Emile "The Ceremony”
Artist Bio
M. Emile was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He joined the Centre d’Art in the 1950's, and is regarded as a primitive artist. His work is generally concerned with voodoo imagery and market scenes. He was encouraged to paint by Gerard Valcin and studied with M. Valcin and Madsen Mompremier..
Painting Description:
M. Emile "The Ceremony The painting depicts several mambos dancing during a voodoo ceremony. The mambos are dressed in white, holding a white handkerchief with a white turban over their heads. At the ceremony, the houngan or mambo—priest or priestess—sacrifices a sanctified chicken to the Loa. Participants then ask the spirits for advice or help with problems. More than half the requests are for health. The color white a symbol of purity, dominates the painting..