Herve Te le maque: A Hopscotch of the Mind

On the Haitian French artist reimagining themes of imperialism and racism through Pop and Surrealist idioms

Cartoonlike imagery abounds in the paintings of the Haitian French artist Herve Telemaque (born 1937), incorporating archival and contemporary cultural references that trace the history and impact of racism, imperialism and colonialism. Working since the late 1950s and based in Paris since the early 1960s, Telemaque has skillfully exploited the political potential of both Pop art and Surrealism (he has also been associated with Arte Povera). Accompanying the artist’s first major UK exhibition, A Hopscotch of Mind explores the artist’s work within the context of Haitian art and history, the politics of anti-Blackness and the global art scene. The catalog contains selections of Telemaque’s writings and works on paper, as well as an interview with the artist by Hans Ulrich Obrist. Essays by scholars C.C. McKee, Francoise Verges and Sarah Wilson, in addition to writer Lyonel Trouillot and artist Helen Marten, contextualize his complex career.