Gessen Collection

Ann and Ed Gessen, St. Petersberg, FL

By way of introduction, my wife Ann and I have been collecting Haitian Art for over 40 years, and have a fairly extensive collection of Haitian paintings, metal sculptures, Vodou Flags (my passion), and other various crafts. These remarkable artworks have been collected by many trips to Haiti, and by many visits with fellow collectors, gallerists, and auction houses from across the country. Our walls may be full, but our excitement is wide open!

Over the years, we have been able to share parts of the collection by way of loans to several exhibits and books on Haitian Art. These opportunities have been scarce! Now everything has changed and technology will afford all of us the chance to share our collections with many others to enjoy. For this, we are grateful to the Haitian Art Society, for making this possible. I sincerely hope others will join us in this effort. Previous exhibits and periodicals have been:

  1. Los Angeles Craft and Folk Art Museum Haitian Art Exhibition-2006-Curated by Carine Fabius
  2. Eastern Illinois University Vodou Flag Exhibit-2007-Curated by Laurie Beasley/Marilyn Houlberg
  3. San Francisco Jazz Heritage Museum “Haiti to Cuba” Exhibit-2012-Curated by Marguerite Brown
  4. UCLA Fowler Museum-Los Angeles, and Musee de la civilization-Quebec City, Quebec “In Extremis” Exhibition and Catalog-2013-Curated by Marla Burns/Don Cosentino/Patrick Polk
  5. Nottingham Contemporary Gallery (UK) “Kafou” Exhibition and Catalog-2012-Curated by Alex Farquharson/Leah Gordon
  6. “Spirits in Sequins” Book on Vodou Flags-2007-Nancy Jacobson
  7. “Masterpieces of Haitian Art” Book on Haitian Art-2013-Candice Russell
  8. “Arts and Religions of Haiti” Book on the interaction of Haitian Religions and Art-2015-LeGrace Benson
  9. Waterloo Center for the Arts, St Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts, and Tampa Museum of Arts: Several donated pieces on display in their permanent collections
  10. Grinnell College “En Voyage” Exhibition and Catalog-2018-Curated by Fredo Rivera
  11. Tampa Museum of Art “Sacred Diagrams” Vodou Flags Exhibition and Catalog-2019/2020, Curated by Joanna Robotham/Edouard Duval-Carrie

My personal goal is to share this work with the greater community. As a member of the Haitian Art Society and recently elected President of its Board of Directors, I am excited to be a part of this groundbreaking website transformation project.

Rank: 1
Dessalines laissant la Crete-a-Pierro, 1960s
Dessalines laissant la Crete-a-Pierro, 1960s
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Rank: 2
Vodou Table, 1950
Vodou Table, 1950
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Rank: 3
Lwa Spirits, 1970s
Lwa Spirits, 1970s
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Rank: 4
La Sirene in Jungle, 1960-70s
La Sirene in Jungle, 1960-70s
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Rank: 5
Vodou Creatures, 1960s
Vodou Creatures, 1960s
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Rank: 6
Agwe and La Sirene, 1998
Agwe and La Sirene, 1998
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Rank: 7
Bridal Evening, 1977
Bridal Evening, 1977
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Rank: 9
Baron Samedi and Guede Nibo, 1985
Baron Samedi and Guede Nibo, 1985
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Rank: 10
Vodou Ceremony, 1960s
Vodou Ceremony, 1960s
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The Generals, 1988
The Generals, 1988
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Henri Christophe, 1980s
Henri Christophe, 1980s
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La Sirene, La Baleine, 1990s
La Sirene, La Baleine, 1990s
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Adam and Eve, 1970s
Adam and Eve, 1970s
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Marriage Procession, 2005
Marriage Procession, 2005
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Vodou Tower with Dambalahs, 1998
Vodou Tower with Dambalahs, 1998
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Offering Under the Cross, 1980s
Offering Under the Cross, 1980s
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Crucifixion with Lwas, 1990s
Crucifixion with Lwas, 1990s
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Vodou Ceremony, 1980s
Vodou Ceremony, 1980s
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Marriage of Agwe and LaSirene, 2000s
Marriage of Agwe and LaSirene, 2000s
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Eve in the Garden, 1970s
Eve in the Garden, 1970s
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Dambalah Ceremony, 1990s
Dambalah Ceremony, 1990s
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Imaginary Village with Baby Jesus, 1970s
Imaginary Village with Baby Jesus, 1970s
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Falling Angel, 1990
Falling Angel, 1990
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Man with a Zombie, 1977
Man with a Zombie, 1977
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Village Market, 1980s
Village Market, 1980s
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Ceremony of the Breads, 1950s
Ceremony of the Breads, 1950s
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Vodou Ceremony, 1940-50s
Vodou Ceremony, 1940-50s
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Man in Forest, 1970s
Man in Forest, 1970s
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Marriage of Agwe and Lasirene, 1985
Marriage of Agwe and Lasirene, 1985
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Drum Ceremony, 1980s
Drum Ceremony, 1980s
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Two Rara Men with Cross, 1980s
Two Rara Men with Cross, 1980s
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Adam and Eve, 2000s
Adam and Eve, 2000s
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Hairy Creature with Zombie, 1980s
Hairy Creature with Zombie, 1980s
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Ceremony Under Tree, 1980s
Ceremony Under Tree, 1980s
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Pregnant Woman in River, 1990s
Pregnant Woman in River, 1990s
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RaRa Carnival, 1980s
RaRa Carnival, 1980s
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Leopard and Elephant, 1980s
Leopard and Elephant, 1980s
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Man in RaRa Costume, 1980s
Man in RaRa Costume, 1980s
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Vodou Sacrifice, 1970s
Vodou Sacrifice, 1970s
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Le Bois Enchante (The Enchanted Forest), 1962
Le Bois Enchante (The Enchanted Forest), 1962
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Erzulie and La Sirene Under the Mapou Tree, 2000s
Erzulie and La Sirene Under the Mapou Tree, 2000s
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Vodou Ceremony, 1993
Vodou Ceremony, 1993
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