About Us

Welcome to Cantave Art Studio, the studio have been around now for well over 25 years. Even thou it suffered some setbacks that have caused us technical difficulties, Microsoft all of a sudden ceased to do Webhosting. nonetheless, we remain relevant and forward-looking and growing. With this new website which is simple enough to manage. We will try to regain our former glory.  Yes, pages of Anacaona, The Black General, views on Haitian art and culture will be back. It was and is and will continue to be a place of regeneration, including myself. for I'am the initiate in the audience as well. Spirit feeding upon itself...It will be once again be a place of wonder and enchantment.

Joseph Cantave

 This picture of Joseph Cantave was taken recently in the Spring of 2020 

 Joseph Cantave was born in Haiti on September 11, 1963. His work is popular in New England, where he currently

 resides and works. Joseph apprenticed with the popular Italian Painter Anthony Gillepsi from 1983 to 1985.

 (Gillepsi is now the chairman of the painting department at the Museum of Fine Art School in Boston) and as a 

result, he developed a technically sophisticated impressionistic style, blending pigments to create colors that 

are multidimensional. In his "Modern Series", using different color planes like in cubism he successfully robs

 flatness of its significance.  He chooses to work with oils, rather than the acrylics favored by many of the

 artists today. Definitely, Cantave's work reflects his rich Haitian historical heritage and his colorful 

background where a classic clash of civilizations occured and whre it is the only place and time in 

recorded history where the Africans have emerged on top.They ended slavery in 1791 and declared independance 

in 1804.

 His works are deeply rooted in African, Aboriginal Arakawa Indians and old French customs. In today's 

uncertain and unsecure  time, it is both refreshing

 and satisfying to contemplate Cantave's enchanting and spiritually based art. 

From the very beginning of Joseph's artistic pursuit, art has been a poetic statement

 in reaction to his experience of a Haitian life. The paintings are born of his own introspective journey 

spanning a life full of pain and tragedy as well as unbounded joy and beauty. He considers the act of painting

 a poetic statement in which he finds partial relief and peace from personal anguish in his turbulent life.

 Since his creativity compels him to explore different styles, Mr. Cantave's oeuvre is divided into three 

categories: Landscape Series little vacations to which the artist often escapes Nymphs Series a tribute to

 the golden ages past About Face Series the artist calls this visible spirits.

 At first glance one might have

 the impression that Joseph Cantave's work is naive, or primitive, but on lengthier examination, one supect

 that Mr Cantave possesses and utilizes a wealth of artistic visions. As he states, while his subject matter

 and the appearance might be naive, his approach to painting is from a higher degree of consciousness. 

In addition, he uses Chevreul's science and theories of color(simultaneous contrast)*.

He also uses negative and positive spaces.

 His work can be found in art galleries  as well as private collections all over

 the United States. In addition, his work is also in many private collections in Canada, the Dominican Republic,

 Germany, Hong Kong, England, France, Haiti, Italy, Panama, Puerto Rico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain,

 Switzerland, and Thailand. 

   Please note that the collectors bought directly from Joseph  between 1990 and 2008. Due to the financial

crisis he stopped painting from 2008 to become a long haul truck driver. In 2018 he started painting again.