The Birth of Freda
YAEL TALLEYRAND, The Birth of Freda, 2019-2024, Acrylic and oil on wood panel
The Birth of Freda is a reinterpretation of The Birth of Venus, centering Anacaona as a symbol of strength and beauty. The piece serves as a commentary on immigration and the struggle to assert one’s value when recontextualized within Western spaces.
Yaël Talleyrand was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 1993, and she currently lives and works temporarily in Miami. Raised in a family of artists, she spent her early years in Jacmel before moving to Cleveland, Ohio, at sixteen. Yaël studied Video Production at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she also immersed herself in painting and drawing. Talleyrand’s work explores the stories of Haitian women and the depth of black culture, with a strong focus on spirituality, particularly Haitian Vodou. Through vibrant, layered compositions, she delves into the intersections of identity and the spiritual traditions that shape her heritage. While oil painting is her primary medium, Talleyrand is also a photographer and digital artist, capturing the same themes through a different lens.
Her art has been exhibited widely, with shows in Haiti, France, Italy, and the United States, offering audiences a window into the power, and complexity of Haitian spirituality and culture.