ARTIST STATEMENT
I create clay forms that are rooted in my ancestral past, and define beauty in terms of who I am, a Caribbean woman. Growing up in Haiti, my exposure to clay was only in the form of ritual objects, vessels to honor and serve the Lwas, (spirits) never simply as work of art. Therefore, I view clay with reverence, as the Materia Prima. And consequently, I make figurative sculptures that are both esthetically pleasing and speak of spirits. I believe everything in creation is connected. I understand our spirituality is the venue through which everything communicates in the clearest and purest form. Because I see woman as the center post of our human culture, I use the female form in my work to express myself. I incorporate organic material to add beauty and infuse energy into the clay as it was done by my foremothers. I create to honor and celebrate the female energy that is within all of us. I enjoy working in a variety of sizes, from very intimate one inch to six feet, depending on my emotional and spiritual need of the moment. I am limited only by my studio space, and the size of my kiln. Before my arthritic hands fail me, I dream of making a large mural piece to convey the power of our spirituality, and the ways it can propel us all towards the realization and acceptance of our interconnectedness.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Babette Wainwright was born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She attended Sacred Heart Institution from the age of five until the age of fifteen when she was sent to the United States to escape the cruelty of papa Doc Duvalier dictatorship. A self-taught painter, she has always depicted Black women’s strength and beauty to express pride in her African ancestry. Her art recognizes the Haitian woman as “Poto Mitan,” Vodou term for the temple’s central post.
Babette creates forms that convey her spirituality. Her work is informed by her African roots, and the pre-Colombian peoples of Haiti, the Arawak and Taino. She holds an MSW from Louisiana State University, and an MFA from University of Wisconsin. Her art uses the female form and Vodou iconography to express her cultural, political, and spiritual views.
Over the years, Babette has been honored with various grants, including a fellowship from the Wisconsin Arts Board, a National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts ( NCECA) Merit Award, and in 2023 she won the Wisconsin Women Artist Forward Fund prize.
Babette’s work is in various catalogs and collections. She is also a published writer whose central theme remains her cultural dilemma. She wants her work to reflects the power and beauty of her African culture.
Babette lives in Madison with Kathleen Kelly, her spouse for the past thirty years. Her only child, Angela Wainwright, lives in Virginia.
© Babette Wainwright