Gina Samson’s world is full of trips, exhibits, and painting sessions. It’s a wonder she’s able to put some time aside to do interviews. This past September, she and four other artists of Haitian descent, took part in a joint exhibit at the Harlem Fine Arts Show during Congressional Black Caucus Week.
How did her path as an artist begin? In childhood, like most visual artists! But lots of would-be artists tend to get derailed by self-proclaimed critics—whether teachers, parents, peers, and other folks in their surroundings. If this was the case with Gina Samson, how did she get the gumption to continue? Let’s get the answer to that question and a whole lot more in this two-part interview!
Kreyolicious: What childhood memories do you have about art?
Growing up in Haiti, I remember seeing high color everywhere, and I absorbed early on that our culture encourages expression through art at any level and for every occasion. I often visited the section of Marche en Fer, a lively scene where arts and crafts vendors were showing their wares every day: woodcarvings, elaborate decorated baskets, handmade dolls, and paintings of landscapes and every day life. Around the market were buses and public transport with embellished flatbed trucks, where the passenger seating areas is a wooden addition profusely decorated with flowers and proverbs. Nothing was left plain, and I remember houses with their bright doors and windows, and the very typical signage for stores that was hand-painted for the most part. While there was material deprivation, art seemed accessible to everyone as a part of daily life.
As a child, I was fortunate to visit the studios of two admired painters, first Nehemy Jean when I was just a five year old having drawing lessons with this master, and as a teenager seeing the gallery and studio of Claude Dambreville. I was very affected by those experiences, and that is where I formed a very concrete desire to be able to become a painter in the future, and started to crave being able to create art and have access to more complex artworks.
Kreyolicious: Lots of people who start painting get sidetracked or stop altogether because of comments they get about their premature efforts. What kept you going from the beginning to the artist you are now?
My first foray into exhibiting was a juried show of art made by young people at the German Consulate in Port-au-Prince. My High school art teacher submitted my two large scale charcoals and I obtained third place. That was encouraging.
After creating pieces for many years without showing them, I took the plunge twelve years ago, and on impulse, joined an artist-friend who was submitting work for a show, and just kept that going. What I learned from those early shows is that an artist is part of a process of communication, not only to create art to express a thought and moment and feeling in the work, but also to start conversations and exchanges by opening this experience to others.
There is a vulnerability in putting your work out there—when you have invested your thoughts and efforts and artistic skills. And, once you accept that, you will receive feedback and comments pro and con, it becomes a rewarding exchange. You hope that people enjoy or learn from [your] work—as is appropriate and relevant to them. They may not like the work or not relate to it in the way you anticipated. You allow this to happen and let the public take in the work and interact with it in their own way. Of course, it helps to be able to explain to viewers and collectors what you mean to express and what the piece means to you personally, but pretty much, once you are showing your work, you have to let go and avoid trying to control the experience. The best outcome is to have a body of work that resonates and is well-received…to be true to yourself, and your inspiration and message. And hopefully, to find good homes for your work by attracting collectors.
This concludes PART I of the interview with Gina Samson…Watch out for PART II…Meanwhile…
CLICK HERE TO VISIT GINA SAMSON’S WEBSITE! AND DON’T FORGET TO COMMISSION A PAINTING BY GINA SAMSON!
