The Frist Art Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is set to present an exhibition titled “M. Florine Démosthène and Didier William: What the Body Carries.” This multimedia exhibition features the figurative paintings, collages, and sculptures of Haitian American artists M. Florine Démosthène and Didier William. The exhibition, organized by the Frist Art Museum, will be on display in the Gordon Contemporary Artists Project Gallery from January 31 to May 4, 2025.
M. Florine Démosthène, born in New York and raised in Haiti, and Didier William, born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and moved to Miami at the age of six, explore themes of immigrant identity and cultural heritage in their work. Through their multimedia creations, the artists examine how immigrant bodies can carry memories and heritage while embodying a new, hybrid reality.
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Senior Curator Katie Delmez describes the exhibition as an opportunity to reflect on the connections and differences between two artists of Haitian descent. The exhibition aims to provide an authentic insight into how the artists’ families’ relocations to the US have shaped their creative practices, as well as how personal stories influence communities, survival strategies, and vitality.
Démosthène and William often depict figures of ambiguous gender and race within imaginary geographies that suggest a liminal space between the US and a homeland left behind. Their work references the divine twins of Haitian Vodou, Marassa Jumeaux, and reflects their hybrid experiences. Both artists emphasize eyes in their work, symbolizing the need to be seen while subverting the judgmental gaze often cast upon immigrants.
Démosthène’s art draws influence from Haitian spiritual traditions and mythology, evident in her 3D-printed sculptures and dream-like collages. Her work incorporates motifs that encourage a spiritual interpretation, such as African votive sculptures and glittery rays emanating from figures’ hands.
William’s art focuses on historical and personal narratives, often using his experiences in Miami as a foundation. His work explores themes of nationhood, familial memory, mythmaking, violence, and tenderness. The process of molting, representing the shedding of old identities to thrive in a new environment, is a recurring visual metaphor in his work.
Selected gallery texts will be available in Haitian Creole, accompanied by an essay from Grace Aneiza Ali, a curator specializing in art and migration.
The exhibition will feature an opening conversation on January 31, 2025, with M. Florine Démosthène, Didier William, and Senior Curator Katie Delmez. More information can be found on the Frist Art Museum’s website: Frist Art Museum.
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