Daveed Baptiste (East Flatbush) is a multi-disciplinary artist working between fashion design, photography, and textiles. Born in Haiti and raised in Miami Florida, he moved to NYC to attend Parsons School of Design, where he will graduate with a BFA in May.
Through, textiles, fashion, photography, screen printing, and public installations, Daveed Baptiste’s Lakou NOU project is a multidisciplinary collaboration with the East Flatbush community that explores what it looks like to claim and define our future. By highlighting community members at pivotal life junctures, Daveed’s project visualizes the nuances of being Haitian American, belonging to two worlds, being Black in America while staying true to our heritage, and authentically defining what we want in life.
Last summer and fall Daveed worked with The Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project to create portraits of graduating seniors who, due to the pandemic, could not attend in-person graduation ceremonies. Each senior was photographed in front of a unique background–designed collaboratively by Daveed and the participants–that represents their future aspirations. Recently, Daveed has been interviewing and photographing adult community members who are reclaiming their mental health and overcoming physiological thought patterns that have hindered their ability to dream or reimagine potential futures for themselves.
In April Daveed will be hosting virtual screen printing workshops. The screen prints will have a portrait of a community member on them, and also a question posed by that individual that is only revealed upon printing. The questions are met to start intergenerational dialog about identity. Screen printing is the bait, but the goal is to open up space to talk. Screen printing kits will be delivered to participants homes. Please email daveed.bap@gmail.com if you are interested in participating.
Stay tuned for updates on how Daveed will incorporate these screen prints into his fashion designs for the final phase of his project.
Calling EAST FLATBUSH community members!
Daveed Baptiste will work with community members to create garments to be worn in a choreographed dance performance inspired by the young people’s stories. If you are interested in being photographed, participating in the screen printing, fashion design, sewing of garments, or dancing, please email Daveed: Daveed.Bap@gmail.com or send a direct message on Instagram @Daveedbaptise
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