About.
Drawing Inspiration from Heritage and History
Rocky Cotard, born in Mirebalais Haiti and raised in Boston Massachusetts, USA, places himself between two cultures as a bridge for artistic international connections. He draws inspiration from artists like Gontran Durocher, Phillipe Dodard, and Ronald Mevs. He returns to Haiti on a yearly basis informing his work on experiential research. His body of illustrations depicts the perspective of the Haitian Diaspora, in defiance to the narrow representation of it through media.
Cotard’s paintings, prints, and illustrations dig into his identity and lineage to collect his history, to reclaim his narrative, and to build cultural pride. His work portrays a wide range of color, the use of bold figures that demand attention, and improvisation. Conceptually the work fights the unbalanced power by raising the people who have been generalized and making them into icons where whose power is present and staring back.
Resume
C/V
Media Coverage
Presentations
Haiti: Step Back Leap Forward
March 28, 2018
Presented at Lesley’s Community of Scholars
Haiti: Step Back Leap Forward
Presentation on the importance of reclaiming the stories that have been tarnished by outsiders
Presented at MIPSTERZ
October 6, 2017
Luke Cage: Marvel Comics Superhero
Co-presented with Andres Rivera Martinez on the impact of positive representation in the media and identity
Lesley University
Thursday, February 2, 2017
by Anastasia Ricoy
Blog Posts
Visualising Toussaint Louverture
the British Museum Blog
Charles Forsdick, Professor of French, University of Liverpool
12 March 2018
https://blog.britishmuseum.org/visualising-toussaint-louverture/
ROCKY COTARD AND LAURENT DUBOIS PRESENT “THE SLAVE REVOLUTION THAT GAVE BIRTH TO HAITI”
February 6, 2018
Repeating Islands
News and commentary on Caribbean culture, literature, and the arts
Jacob Lawrence, General Toussaint L'Ouverture from the series The Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture. Screenprint
PodCast and Videos
Featured on Hoodgrown Aesthetic
Episode 27: Grass Ocean
https://soundcloud.com/hoodgrownaesthetic/episode-27-grass-ocean
Drawing Inspiration from Heritage and History
“For artist Rocky Cotard, returning to Haiti opened new avenues for self-discovery, expression, and discussing differences.
Published by Lesley University”
July 11, 2011
Featured
Portraits and Power Opening Reception
Article by Devon Keeley
March 02, 2018
http://www.neighbormedia.org/news/portraits-and-power-opening-reception
DISPLACED
at AVIARY GALLERY, DIG Boston
January 11, 2018
https://digboston.com/displaced-at-aviary-gallery/
Boston Printmakers
An International Association of Artists
January 4th Work Featured on Website
https://www.bostonprintmakers.org/cotard_r_1/
Bringing the Arts to Cambridge – Spirit Awards 2016
Phoebe Sinclair
September 14, 2016
http://agassiz.org/2016/09/bringing-arts-cambridge-spirit-awards-2016/
High school students curate Black History artists’
Dorchester Reporter
by Chris Harding February 2014
https://www.dotnews.com/2014/high-school-students-curate-black-history-artists-exhibit
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
Portraits & Power: An Exhibition by Rocky Cotard and Mosheh Tucker
March 2018
Cambridge Community Television (CCTV)
https://www.cctvcambridge.org/node/549733
Student artists add politics to portraiture
An exhibit at Lesley University explores feelings about the current political climate.
January 26, 2017
Metro Boston
Portraits + Power
Student artists celebrate women of color
Bay State Banner
By Celina Colby
April 4, 2018
https://www.baystatebanner.com/2018/04/04/portraits-power/
The Massachusetts Medievalist praises the small, local art show
