Biography
Fabiola Jean-Louis is a talented photographer and conceptual artist known for her captivating and thought-provoking imagery and 3-Dimensional sculptural works. Born on September 10th, 1978, in Port Au Prince, Haiti, she later moved to Brooklyn, New York, where she nurtured her passion for the arts.
Fabiola’s artistic journey began to flourish during her time at the High School of Fashion Industries, where she discovered her deep-seated love for creativity. However, it wasn’t until November 2013 that she stumbled upon her hidden talent for photography while on a personal quest for artistic rediscovery. Initially using self-portraits as a means of convenience and shyness, she soon realized the power of her body as a medium to convey profound stories.
As her vision evolved, Fabiola’s work expanded beyond self-portraits to include a diverse range of subjects, costumes, and even sculptures made entirely out of paper. Through her lens, she captured the essence of human experience, pushing boundaries and challenging societal norms. Her photographs have been described as magical, moody, and mysterious, reflecting her unique ability to capture something intangible and pure, transcending our ordinary reality.
Jean-Louis draws inspiration from various sources, with themes of Afro-futurism, science, science fiction, pre and postindustrial eras, elves, fairies, history, and folklore, prominently featured in her work. Photography and 3-dimensional forms serve as the artist’s narrative of visual activism, challenging the hegemony of society and inviting viewers to question established narratives.
The series “Rewriting History” stands as a testament to Fabiola’s creative genius. Featuring hand-made period paper gowns, painterly photographs, and Polaroids, her body of work has garnered critical acclaim and was exhibited at esteemed institutions such as the DuSable Museum of African American History, Alan Avery Art Company, and Andrew Freedman Home, all of which are affiliated with the Smithsonian.
Fabiola’s artistic achievements extend beyond exhibition spaces. She was granted coveted residencies at the Museum of Art and Design (MAD) in New York City and the LUX Museum in San Diego, allowing her to explore her craft further and experiment with different techniques and disciplines. A grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) supported Jean-Louis’ 2023 project “Waters of the Abyss: An Intersection of Spirit and Freedom,” which honors the legacy of Black women who successfully fled, fought, and dismantled systems of enslavement in Haiti during the Haitian Revolution (1791-94), inspiring active resistance in the U.S. via the Underground Railroad. Featured at the University of Central Arkansas Baum Gallery, this monumental environment, made entirely of paper pulp, brings together multiple hands under the guidance of Jean-Louis with collaborative support from Annapolis-based artist Tawny Chatmon and students from UCA’s Department of Art and Design and Morrilton High School.
In 2021, Jean-Louis made history as the first Haitian woman artist to showcase her work at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum commissioned her to create a life-sized paper sculpture for a two-year exhibition titled “Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room,” solidifying her position as a groundbreaking artist and paving the way for future generations of Haitian artists.