Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Merisier trained with
artists at the Foyer des Arts Plastique and the Centre d’Art before immigrating
to the United States in 1968. Settling in the New York City area, Merisier
studied at the Art Students League and Visual Arts School. He developed a body
of work heavily informed by his research of art history books and the
contemporary art scene. Works such as In Memory of Wilfredo Lam (2009), Matisse
and Hyppolite (1998) and In Memory of Picasso and
Chagall (2000) exhibit visual and thematic influences from modernist
painters. At the same time, other works portray explicitly Haitian themes,
including a particular concern of the plight and traditions of the Haitian
people. Featuring 28 paintings from the latter part of Merisier’s career, this
exhibition aims to introduce this important painter to a broader audience.
