M. Florine Démosthène on Spirituality, Colonial Objects, and Diasporic Identity

M. Florine Démosthène, a Haitian-American artist raised between Port-au-Prince and New York and now based between the US and Ghana, discusses her evolving practice in an interview with Natalie Willis Whylly for Burnaway. Her work, which includes collage and sculpture, explores the syncretization of colonial histories and indigenous practices, particularly through the lens of African diasporic spirituality. Démosthène's recent research focuses on decorative arts and the use of the Black body in furniture, such as Blackamoor pieces and sugar chests. She creates sculptures that reference objects from museum archives like the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum, aiming to re-empower stolen spiritual artifacts. Her exhibition 'What the Body Carries' (2025) at Frist Art Museum and 'Venͻnͻ Nyo' (2025) at Pérez Art Museum Miami showcase these themes. Démosthène notes that living in Ghana allowed her to unburden herself from US racial histories and simply be an artist. She recalls a pivotal 2018 show at Gallery 1957 in Ghana where local audiences, including high school students, deeply understood her work. She critiques stereotypes of Haitian art as naive or intuitive, emphasizing its diverse influences from the US, Latin America, Europe, and Africa.