Jessica Jean-Baptiste

FÊTE OLD SKILLS. NEW DIRECTIONS. NEW FORMS.

Jessica Jean-Baptiste Capstone Spring 2018 Parsons School of Design Len Mayer

Introduction

Expert Interviews

Craft Research

Design Inspiration

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Collaborative Process

Production Process

Final Product

Credits

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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70% unemployment H ait i is a vibrant island nation full of resources.

H o w e v e r, t h r o u g h o u t t h e y e a r s , H a i t i h a s b e e n heavily damaged by natural disasters, depleted of its resources, and economically oppressed with 7 0 % of the population unemployed and 60% living below the pover t y line. As a result, Haiti is in need of a lot of assistance for its redevelopment.

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INTRODUCTION

400,000 artisans Despite all those obstacles Haiti is rich in culture, values, beliefs,and skilled ar tisans. It is estimated that there are approximately 400,000 ar tisans that rely on the sale of handicraf ts as either a primar y or secondar y source of income.It is the highest sector o f e m p l o y m e n t i n H a i t i ’ s e c o n o m y, b u t v e r y f e w h a v e a c c e s s t o t h e W e s t e r n m a r ke t

INTRODUCTION

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Celebrating Haiti’s rich culture, Fete is a tabletop collection consisting of eating, drinking and storage vessels that combine ceramic and horn. It is inspired by Vodou, a religion which emphasizes healing, balance, and harmony. Fete is made by collaborating with artisans to elevate Haitian communities, create jobs, and open new expor t markets for their creations.

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INTRODUCTION

Expert Interviews

EXPERT INTERVIEWS

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Patty Johnson Patty Johnson Designs

Paula Coles Co - Founder of Dot Haiti Kevin Salyers EVP of sales at Urban Zen

“Mark of the hand and the celebration of the artisan is the goal.”

“Showcase diverstity in a variety of crafts to the external market.”

Alison Mears Director of Healthy Materials Lab

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EXPERT INTERVIEWS

Laura Sansone Parsons Faculty

“Try to create new kinds of meaning for raw materials with a new context.”

Patty Johnson Patty Johnson Designs

How did you start the Vodunuvo project?

Government agencies approached designer Worked with Brand-Trade (Canadian company) What was the goal?

Creating products in developing countries Showcasing diverstity in a variety of crafts Haiti is “One of the best places I’ve ever worked.”

“Craft tradition well established.”

Why did you choose vodou as your source of inspiration?

Vodou is misunderstood “Using something that had been twisted and turning it on its head and use it for its artistic expression.”

“Transformative” What advice would you give me?

Try to create new kinds of meaning for raw materials with a new context.

EXPERT INTERVIEWS

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Paula Coles Co - Founder of DOT Haiti

“The most important is to train workers to skills.”

What is the scale with which products inside of Dot are made?

The scale of production is very small.

What more do you feel could be done to improve the scale and quality of production?

To improve the scale the most important is to train workers to skills/ equipments and integrate machinery or tools to improve productivity ( i.e.: training specific to handbag in textile and /leather, installation of a pug mill for clay production, training on glazing for ceramic ,on potter wheel,….)

How are raw goods transported and final products exported to the global market?

Working with outside communities like hat weaver in the south, the most difficult part is the logistic, it takes time to develop as it is far and they don’t come often to port-au-prince when we need to send material or them to send us samples, also it should takes someone to follow-up on technical and quality control that we don’t have, then the order is sent back by local bus coming to the capital once a week ( not reliable cause any weather conditions, roads or technical issues can delay the transport). When final product arrive at DOT we do a quality control and organize packing, shipping and handling to to customers and pay artisans.

Do the artisans work inside of Dot or in various parts of Haiti?

The artisans work mostly outside of DOT in various part of Haiti but some do work in house when needed like beaders. We travel to them and they travel to us.

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EXPERT INTERVIEWS

“There’s so much potential there but it’s all about harnessing the talent.”

Kevin Salyers EVP of sales at Urban Zen

How did Urban Zen become involved with working in Haiti?

We started working in Haiti after the Earthquake. From there we began to try to figure out a way that was going to be beneficial for the artisan by helping them up their sophistication of their product design and the quality of it. Our initial goal was to create a line of product with multiple artisans that we could then showcase within the Urban Zen environment, and our website to help showcase the talent and creativity that is there. The large goal would be to give them as much production order as possible, the challenge currently is that we are a small group of stores, so we only have so much appetite for sales.

There’s never been a lack of creativity, but the issue has always been the lack of resources on the ground, and that’s how the D.O.T organization and training came to be. The challenge has been consistency, because there’s a lag time. The artisans need assurance to be able to trust that you’re going to come back and follow through, and that they’re going to continue to have orders coming in to be able to maintain their livelihoods and source of income.

One thing is to have a great idea that has a story and a reason for being in such a crowded space, and showcase what makes it unique and really different. People have a desire to feel supported in their purchase. There’s so much potential there but its all about harnessing the talent. The artisans that have talent don’t always have the resources to make work For tabletop goods it’s important for the price point to be accessible. The layers of process- what is it costing to manufacture?.. The materials ideally should be local for better authenticity. Products that are authentically Haiti are more meaningful that way.

EXPERT INTERVIEWS

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Craft Research

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CRAFT RESEARCH

These are a few of the craft communities working in Haiti.

Leather Horn Beadwork jewelry Metal Weaving

CRAFT RESEARCH

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These products emphasize local materials and processes, but they don’t have a strong enough sense of identity or place.

How can I create products that speak authentically to Haiti’s culture?

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PRECEDENTS

Design Inspiration

DESIGN INSPIRATION

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“Vodou is the soul of the Haitian people.”

“Voudou emphasizes healing, it emphasizes creating balance and harmony in the world.” Mambo Dowoti Desir

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DESIGN INSPIRATION

Vodou is an important religion that is practiced all throughout Haiti but is misunderstood and twisted in the West.

Artifacts found on a Vodou Altar.

Libation bottles for liquor Packet Kongo (medicine packets) Govi (Jars) Offering vessels

DESIGN INSPIRATION

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These female spirits represents an aspect of womanhood and are highly respected.

Erzulie Dantor Lwa of Love

Ayizan Lwa of Commerce

La Sirene Lwa of Wealth

Ayida Wedo Lwa of Fertility

“We want to defend our culture and traditions.� Mambo Rolanda Delerme

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DESIGN INSPIRATION

Vodou is one of the only religions where women are equal to men.

Mambo (female priestesses) hold a lot of power in this patriarchal society.

Vodou Veve Symbol

The first line of Fete is inspired by the female Lwa Ayizan.

Haitian spririts (Lwa) are the spirits which are served in Haitian Vodou. They act as intermediaries between humans and Bondye (God).

The Lwa

Rada Lwa

Petro Lwa

Gede Lwa

The white group known as the Rada are the first to be greeted.

Known for their aggressive and explosive personalities.

The Gede are the Spirits of death, and are the last to come down at the end of the ceremony.

DESIGN INSPIRATION

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Collaborative Process

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COLLABORATIVE PROCESS

Old Skills BOSS ANDRE

HORN ARTISAN “Once we see it, we can make it.”

“I do believe that I will be doing this for the rest of my life because it’s a craft I really love.”

Andre Paul Lefond Location- Haiti Port au Prince Material- Cattle horn Supplier- Slaughterhouse

COLLABORATIVE PROCESS

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COLLABORATIVE PROCESS

Horn: Heated- Flattened- Reheated- Molded- Polished- Sealed Equipment: Cast Iron press- Handsaw- Belt Sander

New Directions “Ceramic has the biggest potential.Bigger than leather, or textiles.”

“The root handicraft from Haiti is ceramic.

The new phase for D.O.T will be a training center for ceramic that will take people from everywhere in the country, so they can go back and do ceramic in the coutryside.It is a huge market. You can go from tableware, to art , and even jewelry.

Paula Coles Location- Haiti Port au Prince DOT Haiti organization

COLLABORATIVE PROCESS

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HORN

New Forms CERAMIC

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COLLABORATIVE PROCESS

Fete is a collaborative tableware set. The horn caps were designed and made in Haiti. They were then shipped to the U.S where the clay bodies were made by me.

Design Process

Intro

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IDEATION

IDEATION

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MODEL MAKING

Hand coiling and veve stamp patterning

FIRST PROTOTYPE Changes were made to tighten up the forms and bring in elements of beadwork and color from Vodou artifacts.

FIRST PROTOTYPE

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MODEL REFINEMENT

Integration of horn caps and beadwork patterning

GLAZE TESTING

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Production Process

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PRODUCTION PROCESS

Cup

Medium Bowl

Small Plate

Large plate

TECHNICAL DRAWING

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Small bowl

Small jar

Medium jar

Large jar

TECHNICAL DRAWING

Small bottle

Medium bottle

Large bottle

S/P shaker

TECHNICAL DRAWING

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Designer

Jessica Jean-Baptiste

People

Products

Training

Markets

Artisan

Organization

NEW COMBINATION OF MATERIALS

COLLABORATIVE PROCESS

Andre Paul Lefond

Horn artisan

Final Product

Heated horn

Wood supplier

Charcoal

Paula Coles

Horn Supplier

Raw Horn

Clay supplier

Clay Artisan

Raw clay

Clay vessel

Wood Supplier

Charcoal

Final Product

NEW PRODUCT

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NETWORK DIAGRAM

Fete will eventually be made entirely in Haiti, in collaboration with horn artisan Andre, and potters from DOT Haiti.

Design and Development

Supplier

End of Life

Customers

Shipping

Stores

Artisans

FETE Packaging and assembly

Retail operation

Transport

Transport Warehouse

PRODUCT LIFECYCLE

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Planet The clay is sourced locally from natural deposits in Haiti’s central plateau. The cattle horn is a byproduct of the meat industry.

Sustainable People The making of Fete supports artisan communities by providing new skills and jobs that helps to promote artisan communities and local craft.

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TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE

Economic development that supports artisans and the economy by promoting the use of local materials such as clay and horn.

Profit New goods are sold to the US and other global markets.

Final Product

Intro

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Dimensions Small jar 3d x 4 h Medium jar 3.5 d x 4.75 h Large jar 3.24 d x 5.5 h

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FINAL

GOVI

BOUTEILLE

Dimensions Small bottle 1.75d x 8.5 h Medium bottle 1.75 d x 9.5 h Large bottle 1.75d x 13.25 h FINAL

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Dimensions Small plate 7.5d x 1.25 h Large plate 10 d x 1.25 h Bowl 3.4 d x 2.5 h Cup 3d x 4 h S/P shaker 1.2d 2.4h

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FINAL

KONGO TABLEWARE SET

CHANDEL DETANTE

Dimensions Small candle holder 1.25d x 2 h Large candle holder 4.2 d x 2 h FINAL

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FINAL

FINAL

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FINAL

Many thanks to everyone who helped me throughout the course of this project.

This is only the beginning.

Len Mayer Andre Lefond Paula Coles Jono Pandolfi Kevin Salyers Patty Johnson Dowoti Desir Alison Mears Cynthia Lawson Christopher Saucedo AND ALL MY PEERS!

CREDITS

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SOURCES https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/haitian-diaspora-spreading-the-gospel-of-voodoo/article4327066/ http://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/IR/00/00/13/62/00024/Megan%20Raitano%20essay%201.pdf https://globalconnections.champlain.edu/2014/12/01/depictions-of-women-and-femininity-in-vodou/ https://www.thoughtco.com/vodou-veves-4123236 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/07/vodou-haiti-endangered-faith-soul-of-haitian-people http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/nyregion/10voodoo.html?WT.mc_id=VI-SM-E-YT-SM-VID-BVV-041511-NYT-NA&WT.mc_ev= click&smid=yt-nytimes https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/26/vodou-exhibit_n_6044300.html?utm_hp_ref=religion https://glitternight.com/2014/08/13/the-top-eleven-deities-in-voodoo-mythology/

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SOURCES