But the same materials; in this case -used oil drums in the hands of a select few people turns into very different items- and I’m not talking about oil drum barbecue pits nor am I quite referring to the modern artistic furniture designs of the French, Francois Royer either. No, instead I’m talking about beautiful pieces of art that will leave you in awe and disbelief when you are told it’s made out of old oil drums. Now before I continue, I just want to make it clear that I’m not saying Francois Royer’s designs aren’t beautiful, I’m just saying you can clearly see how they are made of oil drums because he retains the material’s shape.
Croix des Bouquets, is an area off Port-Au-Prince in Haiti that is well known for artisans who make oil drum art. Many of these gifted metal sculptors concentrated in the metropolitan area as you can hear them busy in their work-shed, working hard to bring their own unique touch to life through their art- which just translates as there will be at least one piece of metal sculpture that will appeal to each of us.
Some of these artworks embody the Haitian culture whilst others pagan and nature inspired. Personally I think they make one of the most beautiful versions of the ‘Tree Of Life’ and birds. But if that isn’t your thing and you like something a little more Haitian, then they also make Voodoo Scenes ( a bit creepy for me). And the best part is, you don’t have to Croix des Bouquets to get your hands on them. Stores like World Of Good by Ebay and Explore Inspiration are a great place to source for old oil drum art.
