In this participatory workshop, join artist David Sainté to learn methods of mask making and why Jacmel’s Carnival is not only a cornerstone of Haitian cultural identity, but an essential history for the Haitian diaspora to learn, preserve, and pass on.
Each participant will receive a pre-made mask to decorate with demonstrated techniques , a complementary beverage, & light refreshments.
This event is part of the Vizyon Atistik public programming for JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval on view until March 29, 2026.
Saturday, February 28
3–5pm
Haiti Cultural Exchange
35 Lafayette Ave. Brooklyn, NY
RSVP required. Limited Capacity.
Get your tickets here »
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About The Exhibition
JAKMÈL | The Unveiling of Kanaval is more than a celebration, it is a living archive of survival stories, memory, and self-expression.
Learn more about the exhibition and artists here »
Join the artists & curators for other activations taking place as part of this exhibition »
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About the Instructor
David Sainté is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker and interdisciplinary visual artist of Haitian descent whose work bridges experimental documentary, installation, and new media. His practice merges archival footage, video, and sculptural environments with emerging technologies to create immersive, narrative-driven experiences that explore memory, grief, and cultural identity.
His recent work includes Bedsheet Bunker, presented in Oslo as part of Nou La: Apertures into Haiti at Kunstnernes Hus, alongside Jelsen Lee Innocent’s exhibition Truth Has No Friends in The West. The generative film explores Haiti’s artistic legacy and diaspora through themes of spirituality, resilience, and resistance, situating Haitian voices within global contemporary discourse.
Another cornerstone of his practice is Nou Mache lè Solèy Kouche, a part-sculptural, part-generative documentary installation supported by the En Foco Media Arts Fund and the Foundation for Contemporary Arts. Originally intended for the Ghetto Biennale in Jacmel, the project was left without a home after the event was cancelled due to the crisis in Haiti. The installation has continued to evolve in Sainté’s studio, weaving light, film, and memory with car parts, sequin fabrics, found objects, and glowing masks that evoke Jacmel’s Kanaval traditions and ancestral memory.
Sainté’s broader projects have been supported by institutions such as The Shed, MIT, the MUD Foundation in Miami’s Little Haiti, the Museum of the Moving Image, where he has developed XR environments, sound, and experimental moving image installations.