Theard Aladin (October 12, 1925 – August 17, 1993) was a Haitian self-taught artist, noted for his artwork depicting Haitian life and use of bright colors in paintings.
Aladin was from Jacmel, a city on the southern coast of Haiti. After working as a stonemason and farmer for many years, Aladin suffered a serious back injury in 1983, which left him unable to continue this line of work. [1] For months he supported his family by doing odd jobs around Jacmel, but in fall of 1984, he had a dream in which he was told that he was an artist. [1] The very next day, he began his first painting. [1] Shortly thereafter, Aladin moved to a house in Carrefour, a commune outside of Port-au-Prince, where he worked closely with other Haitian artists until 1987. [1] The subject matter of his paintings was typically scenes of working-class Haitians, but occasionally Aladin depicted religious accounts inspired by Haitian Vodou. [2]
Aladin's artwork has been featured in books, including "The Vodou Box" by Manuela Dunn Mascetti. [2] He was also mentioned in the book Latin American and Caribbean Artists of the Modern Era: A Biographical Dictionary which said he was "noted for his colorful naive compositions depicting Haitian life." [3]
He died of heart disease on August 17, 1993, at the age of 68. [1]
Theard had nine children, among which is artist Agathe Aladin. [3] She spent much of her early life watching and helping her father paint. [4]
His work is included in various galleries and exhibitions including "The Jonathan Demme Collection of Self-Taught Art" (2014) at Material Culture Gallery in Philadelphia. [5]