Haitian metalwork artist and frequent attendee at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market Michée Ramil Remy passed away on March 11, 2012 at the age of 41 from deteriorating health conditions.

Michée had a determined ambition to succeed as an artist, the resilience to overcome hardships in Haiti, and the creative talent to transform recycled metal into wonderful mythological and commonplace imagery of mermaids, whimsical birds, and nature.

Born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti on June 26, 1970, Michée began learning the basics of preparing drums as a teenager from his step-father, well-known steel drum sculptor Gabriel Bien-Aimé.

Michée had his own shop, employed numerous apprentices and workers, and had his work represented at various stores, galleries and festivals in the US and the Caribbean.

Longtime friend and supporter Susan Tselos helped Michée attend the Folk Art Market from 2009 – 2011 and noted, “He felt this was a crowning achievement to his gift as a steel drum artist, and his decades long struggle to be recognized for his work.

“In addition to this honor, he was also selected by former US President Bill Clinton as one of three artists to create a metal sculpture trophy, which was presented to the winner of the annual Clinton Global Initiative awards.”

Susan gives us more information about the sort of artist and man Michée was.

From the time he was five, his head was already bursting with imagery he saw in dreams and in daily life in Croix-des-Bouquets: images of mermaids, trees, birds, fish, as well as the local people going about daily chores. In his dreams, the dirt and hardship of the town was changed into bucolic, clean fields and country scenes.

His signature style includes female figures with long, flowing dreadlocks. He was the first artist to depict hair this way, subsequently many of the other artists followed suit.

His signature designs also included whimsical birds perched atop heads or at the top of sailboats, and in the round, draping tree branches which both disguised as well as revealed artistically the areas where the spouts of the former steel drums had been situated.

During his growing artistic success, Michée married and began his family, becoming the father of four children,

Sadly, Michée’s first wife died in childbirth leaving him with four children to feed.

In 2007 Michée eventually married again, and another child was born.

The joy of this birth eased the pain of the untimely deaths of two of his children from his first marriage.

His pride and joy were the large 4 by 6 foot sculptures that he created from the entire body of the steel drums, depicting bucolic, pastoral scenes of nature with trees, animals and people gathering fruit, as well as scenes from Haitian mythology.

He believed that with the whole drum as a canvas, he was able to express more of what he envision in his head, and his true artistic creativity was revealed.

He will be much missed and fondly remembered by everyone associated with the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market. Thanks to Susan Tselos for the information included here.

(images © Bob Smith, and © A Polished Eye)