Villard Denis (Davertige)

Villard Denis, alias Davertige, was a Haitian poet and painter born in Port-au-Prince in 1940.

Denis grew up in Haiti but later moved to Paris, France, where he lived for several years. In 1960, he studied in the Haitian School of Surrealists and published his first collection of poetic works, Idem, under the pseudonym of DAVERTIGE. At Fourteen, he began painting with help from Casimir Laurent, Dieudonné Cédor, and Luckner Lazard. In 1956, he became strongly influenced by Max Pinchinat and turned toward European techniques.  Denis's paintings have been exhibited in Haiti, Mexico, Spain, France, and Canada.