ARTISTS

Reinilda Fernandez (Blair) and Darnelle Louis-Jacques

GUEST CURATOR

Tisha Smith

This collaborative exhibit showcases the work of two women artists from the Dominican Republic (Quisqueya) and Haiti (Ayiti). Reinilda Fernandez (Blair) and Darnelle Louis-Jacques explore and celebrate their shared Taíno ancestry

while addressing the contemporary challenges and tensions between their countries. "Ayiti-Quisqueya: Nexus of the Taíno" promises to be a thought-provoking and impactful exhibition that transcends borders and fosters understanding between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The artists aim to inspire positive change and pave the way for a future characterized by unity, empathy, and mutual respect.

EVENTS

Ayiti-Quisqueya: Nexus of the Taíno - Opening Reception

Sat, Aug 09, 2025, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

FREE | Open to the public

Jack Sinclair Gallery

ArtsXchange, 2148 Newnan St, East Point, GA 30344, USA

RSVP

Ayiti-Quisqueya: Nexus of the Taíno - Artist Talk

Sat, Sep 06, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

FREE | Open to the public

Jack Sinclair Gallery

ArtsXchange, 2148 Newnan St, East Point, GA 30344, USA

RSVP

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Reinilda Blair is a Dominican-born visual artist raised in New York City and based in the Atlanta area. Her work explores identity, ancestry, and transformation through an Afro-Caribbean lens shaped by her Taíno, African, and Spanish roots. While she officially entered the professional art world in 2021, painting has been a lifelong practice.

She works primarily with acrylics, painting intuitively and allowing each piece to evolve as part of a larger spiritual and emotional process. Her work often includes faces, nature, and symbolic elements that speak to heritage, memory, and inner power. In addition to painting, she creates clay sculptures that expand on the same ideas. While her art honors ancestral traditions, it also reflects personal experiences, including a near-death event that expanded her connection to the metaphysical and deepened the purpose behind her creative practice. Blair’s work moves between cultural storytelling and visionary art. She often pulls from dreams, rituals, and intuitive knowing to create pieces that feel both grounded and expansive.

She has shown work at the Fulton Government Center and the Emma Darnell Aviation Center, among other venues across metro Atlanta. Through the Hapeville Main Street Artist Residency, she developed community-based projects that included live painting, cultural workshops, and mixed-media installations.

Darnelle Louis-Jacques is not just an artist; she embodies the spirit of resilience and transformation. A second-generation Haitian American, she was born and raised in the vibrant heart of Brooklyn, NY. From a young age, Darnelle’s heart beat in time with the rhythm of creativity, yet her family's expectations steered her away from her true calling as an architect. Instead, she ventured into fields like Dental Lab Technology and patisserie, searching for fulfillment but never quite finding it.

Her life took a dramatic turn after a life-altering car accident, which became a pivotal moment in her journey. In the wake of this trauma, Darnelle discovered the healing power of art. With each brushstroke on canvas, she began to explore her inner landscape, transforming pain into beauty and chaos into clarity. This cathartic process revealed her true passion and talent, igniting a fire within her to create works that resonate deeply with the human experience.

Today, Darnelle's collections, like “The Breakthrough” series, are visual narratives crafted with intention. Each painting tells a story, inviting viewers to delve into their own emotional landscapes and discover the beauty of their journeys. Her art inspires transformation and sparks conversations about resilience and self-discovery.

Darnelle’s art has been showcased at renowned venues such as the Emma Darnell Aviation Museum, UUCA Pulgram Art Gallery, Future Gallery, Alpharetta Arts Center, and Bookstore Gallery, inspiring discussions on resilience and self-discovery.