Artistry first came to Régine Mercier as a teenager when she received basic training in drawing from the sisters of Christ the King, in her hometown of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.  She was later introduced to painting by a family member, the late artist Raoul Viard, who taught her to draw from her own internal inspiration rather than from the influence of other artists. 

In 1970, Régine moved from Haiti to the USA where she temporarily stopped painting in order to concentrate on her career.  Although she continued to draw in her spare time, it was not until 1992 that she was truly inspired to resume painting. Her inspiration was the result of frequent business trips to Central and South America where she became acquainted with and fascinated by the native art of the region.

Being an avid collector, particularly of Haitian paintings, it was difficult for Régine to not be influenced by the artists she has come to admire.  Consequently, she was at first unsure of herself and painted mostly for family and friends.  With time, however, she began exploring different techniques, using different palettes, and experimenting with different mediums, thereby allowing her to acquire her unique style.

Régine predominantly enjoys painting women’s faces because of the multitude of emotions that can be reflected in them.  In her paintings, she has captured grace, beauty, serenity, and complexity, in addition to the myriad of emotions that women feel.  Through this theme, Régine has been able to develop her signature style, a distinctive expression attained by using a “V” as the nose of her subjects. In addition, she favors bright colors, showing a particular preference for shades of yellow and green. 

Selected Exhibitions:

2000     Broward County Library – Fort Lauderdale, FL

2000     Alliance Française – Miami, FL

2003     Mr Fashion Art Gallery – Miami, FL

2004     Hammonds House Gallery – Atlanta, GA

Solo

2003     Private Studio Show – Miami, FL

2002     Private Studio Show – Miami, FL

2002     Gwen Margolis Center - Women's Month Celebration - Miami, FL

2001     Teatro Marti “La Realidad de un Espejismo” Miami, FL

2000     Universidad La Salle – Mexico City, Mexico

1999     Vie & Art Collections – Miami, FL

1999     Calico Art Gallery – New York, NY

Universidad La Salle – Mexico City, Mexico

Alliance Française – Miami, FL

Dr. Lucio, Rector of the Universidad La Salle In Mexico

Donation

2000     Friends of Monfort, New York, NY

Award and Honors:

2000     Proclamation, City of Miami, FL

2000     Certificate of Appreciation, Broward Public Library

Bibliography:

2002     Haitian Artists in The Diaspora – Page 74

Artist Statement

“…The faces represented in my paintings are used as symbols of life.  Each of my paintings is a synthesis of the multi-cultural experiences that have influenced my creative consciousness. When this multitude of inner images surfaces and is captured into a paintings, the experience is intended to portray the simplification of life and its evolution.”