Meet the Artist!

Taz Spady is the artist behind Espere’s Christmas cards. He is a Haitian based graphic designer who has loved art from an early age. When he was in grade school he discovered his passion by drawing and practicing with friends at school and on vacations.

In 2011 at a festival in the South of Haiti, Taz saw a friend using an iPad with Sketchbook and got the opportunity to test it out himself. He knew then that he needed to work to get an ipad for himself. Now he uses Sketchbook, Photoshop, and Procreate to create his own personal artwork. While he is passionate about his work, there are some struggles that Haiti brings. Graphic design can be expensive and Taz is self supported.

Taz prefers using his fingers to draw directly on the ipad instead of a Stylus or Apple pencil. He says he likes to use his fingers to draw because he likes to feel the art he is making - that when you draw something with a pen you can’t feel what is happening, but when you put your own hand to it you can imagine exactly what you’re creating feels like.

When asked what inspires him he said for him personally, he creates when he feels emotions strongly. His family, friends, and the county of Haiti itself inspire him. When he is searching for this feeling he will sometimes travel to different parts of the country. Taz’s mother grew up in the mountains of Kenscoff and he regularly goes back to find inspiration. He also travels to the coast of Jacmel, where is father is from, to find the beauty of the ocean. Cite Soleil is another place finds inspiration. It is the poorest slum in Haiti and he can see things he has never seen before and talk to people who live life a completely different way.

Taz says that his heart is supportive of Espere and the movement we are working to make in Haiti because mental health is still not understood. He says that if someone in Haiti goes to a medical doctor with mental health concerns they will tell them that what they are experiencing is spiritual and they should visit the witch doctor instead. Taz said that mental health is a good thing and he think it’s important that Haitian people are beginning to learn and have access to more resources to support them.

At Espere, we are so glad that we have met Taz, and gotten to collaborate with him. He has been so open to new ideas and so creative and expressive in his colors and lines. We hope this collaboration will be the first of many, and wish him well in his art. You can follow Taz on Instagram at @TazSpady. Let him know that Espere introduced you!