Francks François Deceus

Francks François Deceus was born in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. He currently resides and maintains a studio in Brooklyn, NY. Deceus received a B.A. in Sociology from Long Island University, NY in 1992 and studied Printmaking at Atlantis Arts Atelier, Gentily, France in 2007.

As a Haitian immigrant or “refugee”, as I was sometimes referred to while growing up in Brooklyn during the 1980s, it was difficult to maintain explicit social and cultural ties to more than one place at a time. This created a constant struggle with identity and acceptance. This is why the time period following major social events, crises, upheavals, is particularly interesting to me; because at these crucial moments – those hours, days, weeks or months – we come together, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or class. We are able to respond to each other as human and nothing else. I have always been interested in events and issues that affect large groups of people simultaneously.

The work is austere and playful in equal measure. The large groupings suggest a particular tension and mystery, yet the figures retain their own individual identity within a complex social structure. The blue uniforms are deliberate in creating a landscape that serves as a metaphor, for our ability to arrest personal judgment, and develop true tolerance in anticipation of better.

Exhibitions

The Pounder-Kone Art Space, Los Angeles; Tilford Art Group, Los Angeles, CA; and the First World Art Gallery, Washington, D.C. Group exhibitions include the Brooklyn Museum, NY; Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MOCADA), Brooklyn, NY; The National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis TN; Gallery M, New York, NY; and Hampton University, Hampton, VA. The works of Deceus have entered numerous public collections, including Xavier University, New Orleans, LA and the Schomburg Center, New York Public Library, NY. His work has been featured in publications such as the International Revue of African-American Art and The Village Voice.