Saint-Vil, Murat
1955
Murat Saint-Vil was born in 1955 in Port-au-Prince. At a very early age, he began to draw and take great interest in painting. Murat's father knew the grand master of primitive Haitian art, Prefete Duffaut. Hence, Murat began to study under Duffaut. After a year of apprenticeship, he then furthered his training under two other masters, Fabolon Blaise and Jean Louis Senatus.
Walking in the steps of Duffaut, St. Vil first distinguished himself through his strong sense of graphics. But it is the influence of Senatus that led him to find his own unique style, which developed in 1977. He instituted a new technique in his detailing of greenery and its reflection upon water. In shading the blues grays, greens and purples into one another, Murat St. Vil captures and holds our attention with idyllic visions of vivid island beauty.
St. Vil is considered among the best of the sophisticated primitive artists. Many Haitian paintings now reflect his stylistic influence. In the annual naive art competition at Kasper Pro Arte Gallery in Morges, Switzerland, he was honored with the Bronze Lansquentet. The Musee d'Art Naif in Paris, France acquired a St. Vil for its permanent collection.
Exhibitions
1975-1985 Exhibited in Martinique, Guadeloupe, Curacao, Denmark, Belgium, Italy and England
1981 - Sotheby Parke Bennet Auction, New York, NY
1982 - International Art Expo, New York, NY
1983 - Musee International d'Art Naif, Nice, France
1983 - Galerie Bukowskis, Zurich, Switzerland
1984 - Bacardi Gallery, Miami, Florida
1984 - Meridian House International, Washington, D.C.
1984 - Kasper Pro Arte Gallery, Morges, Switzerland
1985 - Cafe de la Paix Exposition, Paris, France
1986 - International Art Exposition, New York, N.Y.
1986 - A.H. Riise Gallery, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin
1988 - Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, Paris, France
1988 - Galerie Savannah Blue, Tampa, Florida
1988 - Galerie 93, Paris, France
1990 - Mme. Mitterand, group show and auction, Paris, France
Books and Catalogues
1981 - Le Reve et Les Naifs, p. 118
1981 - Sotheby's Haitian and Latin American Paintings, Drawings and Prints, (Cat. #76)
1982 - Art Expo: New York, p. 213
1983 - Peinture Ha�tienne, pp. 82-83
1983 - Le Paradis Et Les Naifs, p. 251
1984 - Paris Vogue
1985 - Un Instant De Paix Au Cafe De La Paix, p. 100
1986 - La Peinture Ha�tienne, pp. 3, 169
1986 - Voyage Au Pays Des Naifs, p. 147
1988 - HAITI Art Naif - Art Vaudou, 262-265
Permanent Collection
Musee d'Art Naif de Max Fourny, Paris, France
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