Prefete Duffaut

1923 – 2012

Prefete Duffaut was born in the south coast town of Jacmel, Haiti.  Regarded as a representative of the International surrealist movement and a student of the Centre d’Art, Duffaut’s work embodies the ambiguity of the distinct themes of Catholicism and voodoo.  Receiving a vision from the Virgin Mary in a dream, the subject matter of his work was continually guided by his faith and shaped by his modest beginnings.  

Duffaut’s use of geometric designs, imaginative representations of his native Jacmel, and metaphorical use of didactic expressions to reflect his moral, religious and philosophical ideas are constant themes throughout his career.