Haitian Metal art is a truly distinctive art form, sparked in the 1950s by Georges Liautaud (1899–1991) in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti. A blacksmith, Liautaud began crafting metal crosses for public cemeteries before evolving into other intricate cut-metal creations.
Today, artists take 55-gallon used steel oil drums and transform them. The drums are filled with leaves and burned to strip away paint and oil. The drum is chiseled open and flattened using the artist's body weight. The metal is pounded into a flat canvas, then a design is sketched with chalk. The design is hand-cut out of the steel and details are embossed using hammers and chisels.
Some pieces are painted. All are coated with a protective finish to keep from rusting. Each piece is signed with a small chisel, marking the artist's unique touch.