Pierre-Sylvain Augustin, known as "Payas", born on December 12, 1941, in Divette, near Pétion-Ville, passed away on the night of October 23 to 24. A singular figure in Haitian painting, he first cultivated the land and then worked as a mason. It was only later that he discovered painting in 1992 when he became the neighbor of Prospère Pierre-Louis, one of the great names of the Saint-Soleil movement, admired by André Malraux.<\/p>

A painting by Payas<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The death of this friend in 1996 profoundly affected Payas. He said he had sensed it while looking at his last canvas. From that point on, he dedicated himself to painting, as a self-taught artist, with a work deeply infused with faith.<\/p>

In 1997, he presented his work to Tiga, the founder of the Saint-Soleil movement. Encouraged by the master, he joined the Soisson la Montagne festival. He then took part in exhibitions dedicated to the movement, of which he became one of the architects of the renewal in the 2000s.<\/p>

A painting by Payas<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Payas regularly participated in Artisanat en fête. He took part until 2024, the year when health problems prevented him from returning. In January 2022, as part of the Spring of Art, he presented a solo exhibition titled "Payas: on kè plizyè nan m".<\/p>