Title: Shakju
Date: November, 2022
Media: Accordion Book, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
Dimensions: 9” tall x 13.5” Wide (Bound) 36”
6” wide x 9” tall panels on each side
8” Deep (includes bow tie closure on front)
Medium: Six-page fiber art and watercolor accordion book created utilizing found & organic objects including coconut beads, stamped metal, and reclaimed linen ribbon, covered in velvet.
Year: 2023
Price: Original Book $$1,350/Prints starting at $135 each panel
Inquire for prices on accordion prints

Shakju: Haiti Accordion Book contains six pages of illustrations depicting daily life around parts of the country, including Jacmel, Port au Prince, Zorangé, the view along the coast, and up in the mountains near the border to the Dominican. These images capture a time when the country was recovering after the devastating earthquake in 2010, leading up to Hurricane Matthew in 2017.

The natural beauty beyond the pain and devastation is often overlooked, and Haiti’s people deserve their hard work to be respected. The life of a Haitian is a kind of toil that isn’t easily understood by many. Haiti offers an experience of visceral heartbreak and celebration. Haiti is often considered barren and desolate, but it is actually quite lush and beautiful. There are surprising remote gems in hidden locations offering a view of tranquil and peaceful respite from the harshness of daily life. There are many things Haiti needs; perhaps one of the things most needed is a listening ear rather than a talking mouth of a foreigner. I received many gifts from my time in Haiti, and in return, I hope to present a view of something more than tragedy and loss.