No Pain No Gain, No Guts No Glory
MITZAEL JEAN BAPTISTE, No Pain No Gain, No Guts No Glory, 2024, Oil, acrylic, airbrush, and oil pastel on canvas, 11 × 14 in
No Pain No Gain, No Guts No Glory reflects the intense pressure and determination I carry to succeed as an artist within a primarily medical-focused Haitian household.
Part of my creative process involves channeling the emotions and experiences of my past—finding ways to express and illuminate childhood moments that have shaped who I am today.
Self Portrait
MITZAEL JEAN BAPTISTE, Self Portrait, 2024, Oil, acrylic, airbrush on canvas, 24 × 30 in
Self Portrait depicts the soft, feminine side of myself through portraiture. Framed by a peaked window of distorted flowers, it symbolizes the merging of my fantasies with a skewed sense of reality.
My work relates to Nou Ayiti in its reflection of the layered emotions I carry as a Haitian American. I draw inspiration from my parents’ migration stories, the vibrant energy of my extended family, and my own experiences visiting Haiti. These elements—woven together with my personal journey growing up within this rich cultural context—form the foundation of my artistic practice.
Mithzael Jean-Baptiste is a fine artist specializing in figurative abstractions. His work draws inspiration from his interests in cult pop culture media and psychology, blending these elements into the narratives of his art. He explores themes of escapism, vice, clever references, romance, and futuristic interpretations of the present day. The dichotomy of melancholy and bursts of vibrancy in his work is heavily influenced by aspects of his childhood.