Le Nouvelliste, July 3, 2007

Jean-Patrick, Jean-René, Eddy and Gino are the four brothers of the Tintin family, originally from Petit-Goâve. They devote themselves to painting and have already exhibited alone or in groups, in Haiti and abroad. The Tintin family brought together five brothers and two sisters. Four brothers embark on the adventure of creation. Curious, Eddy Tintin began painting by helping his brother Jean-Patrick in his free time to maintain his equipment. While continuing his classical studies, he gave himself a solid foundation by following his brother's advice, and by working with Jean Mercedes Coachy and Dieudonné Cédor, emblematic figures of Haitian painting. Gino Tintin was soon after tempted by the art of creation. He had first devoted himself to preparing the frames and canvases. Like Eddy Tintin, he received his training from his brother, Jean Mercedes Coachy and Dieudonné Cédor. After his classical studies, Jean-René enrolled at the School of the Art called “École des Arts et Métiers”, from which he graduated with a diploma in electronics. He joined his brothers and took lessons from Jean-Patrick Tintin, Jean Mercedes Coachy and Dieudonné Cédor. Conciliatory and visionary, devoured by the love of painting, the Tintin brothers initially worked together. They only had one palette and one easel. Although they shared the same workshop, their styles were resolutely different, as were their subjects and their approaches.

Patrick Tintin or the expressive force of color

44 years old, Jean-Patrick Tintin was at the origin of this family adventure. Drawn from a young age towards drawing and painting, he began his artistic career in 1984, a year during which his family experienced a difficult situation. "I began painting in primary school at the National Mixed School of Thor in Carrefour. I drew in all my notebooks. My director Fritzner Lamour encouraged me a lot. To come to the aid of my brothers whom I loved so much, I sold my paintings near the post office in Port-au-Prince. I did not paint the paintings that I loved in the same way as those I sold. I did not sign the paintings that I sold near the post office in the city center, because I dreamed of becoming a renowned painter," explains this creator. Jean-Patrick Tintin's mother died in 1983. A year later, his father died. So he thought he had a lot to do. He then started painting seriously. He felt responsible with his elders for the future of his three younger brothers. He had to work with his cousin Eddy Jean-François, a naive painter, who did commercial painting. Georges Paul Hector and Rico Dupiton gave him the meaning of true artistic creations, introducing him to the basic techniques of drawing and painting. In 1988, Jean-Patrick Tintin entered the École Nationale des Arts (ENARTS). It was there that he met Franck Louissaint, Michel-Philippe Lerebours, Richard Barbot and Dieudonné Cédor among his teachers. His meeting with the painter Dieudonné Cédor was decisive in his artistic career. "I owe a lot to Dieudonné Cédor. He lives in my neighborhood, and with him I had fruitful work sessions. Over time, I had to create the Tintin Workshop in 1992. I asked my brothers for help in preparing the canvases and frames. That's how they developed a taste for painting," says Patrick Tintin, smiling.

Jean-Patrick Tintin was, at one point, influenced by Jean-René Jérôme and Lyonel Laurenceau and fell into the School of Beauty. However, he is strongly influenced by Lyonel Laurenceau, Dieudonné Cédor and Salvador Dali. Today, his art is different. He tends to become an abstract painter who relies on the expressive force of color. He lets himself be guided by the colors that call for and complement each other. Jean-Patrick has held several exhibitions. In 1985, he exhibited in a group at the École Montana; in 1986, in Petit-Goâve; in 1989 at the Institut Français Quinzaine de l’Enarts; in 1992 at the École nationale des Arts; in 1993 at the cultural center of Panama; in 1995 at the Caribbean Arts Festival in Guadeloupe; in 1997 at the Dominique Carrié exhibition hall (Pétion-Ville); in 2002 at the Musée d’art Haïtien du collège Saint-Pierre and in Belgium.

Contact: PATRICK TINTIN 508 933 4792
email: patricktintin46@gmail.com

Jean-René Tintin: spontaneity

Jean-René Tintin, 38, studied at the Ecole Nationale des Arts. He paints filiform figures. His images are surrealist and his favorite subjects touch on scenes of everyday life. He finds his source of inspiration in Haitian culture. In his work, there are representations of voodoo scenes, traditional dances, rara. Such subjects come back spontaneously and recurrently to this creator for whom painting is a therapy. A promising figure, Jean-René tries to get away from the aesthetics of the School of Beauty. His style becomes more personal, more original and more specific every day. He attaches great importance to the harmony of colors and tones. The majority of his paintings are always dark in relation to the color arrangements. It is the representation of a world that is passing away.

Contact: JEAN RENE TINTIN 509 3823 7387
Email: jeanrenetintin@gmail.com

Eddy Tintin: the voodoo motif

Eddy Tintin, 37, studied at the National School of Arts. His painting highlights the voodoo motif. He originally neglected voodoo scenes in his pictorial work. Today, he has come to understand that he must return to his roots to explore the richness of our heritage. The artist was influenced by the School of Beauty. Over time, the artist moved towards clearer and more structured forms. Today, he joins the surrealist movement. He has a weakness for the French painter Vernet, whose colors he liked, but not his drawings, which he considered too classical. He greatly admired Dieudonné Cédor.

Contact: EDDY TINTIN 3761 4063
Email: eddytintin11@gmail.com

Gino Tintin: "I was born an artist"

Gino Tintin, born in Port-au-Prince on February 20, 1973, is the youngest of the family. His style is essentially based on lines. He creates fully original works linked to surrealism. He draws inspiration from music to paint. This is why musical instruments are present in his work. He deals with subjects related to voodoo. Many voodoo scenes show possession crises like the painting titled "Eucharist". Gino Tintin uses painting to express his moods and emotions.

"I paint to express my moods, my emotions, my joys, my frustrations, and my anger. I was born an artist. I carry painting within me like oxygen in the air. I arrived in the 3rd year of secondary school at the Alexandre Pétion high school. I had to leave school to seek another path, that of painting", says the artist. Thus, his teacher was his brother Jean-Patrick Tintin from whom he learned a lot. "When my mother died, I was ten years old and my father died a year later. My sister took care of us. Suddenly, death took her into eternal night. I decided to follow in the footsteps of our brother Jean-Patrick Tintin, a sure and essential reference. I painted landscapes; I showed them to Dieudonné Cédor, to Jean Mercedes Coachy. They certainly encouraged me,” confides Gino Tintin. Ultimately, the Tintins shared similar experiences, but each kept their freedoms.

GINO TINTIN Contact: 509 3143 6868
Email: tintingino73@gmail.com