Back to Vivant: Rediscovering Home, Art, and My Voice

By Florcy Morisset

They say the ocean has a memory. But so does the land. I first went to Haiti when I was 14.

It wasn’t for vacation or sightseeing. I went to meet my older sisters and brother. A reunion. A homecoming. I was a teenager navigating a space that felt familiar and foreign all at once. I still remember stepping off the plane in my favorite sweater—soft, oversized, and completely inappropriate for Haiti’s 100-degree heat.

I didn’t know it then, but that trip would shape me. Plant seeds that would blossom decades later.

As I road my bike through the roads of Saint Marc, Haiti, smiling -- on a mission to make it to my aunt's home, an elderly woman I had never met—a stranger sitting on a porch—called out to me. With one hand, she waved me over. With the other, she tied my braids back so that my vision clear. No words, just care. Later that moment… it taught me what it takes a village really means. It wasn’t romanticized. It was real. Rooted in community, instinct, and kindness without obligation.

And then, life moved on. I didn’t return to Haiti until over a decade later—this time, not as a teenager, but as an art curator and founder of Vivant Art Gallery. I was in my mid-twenties, just beginning to find my professional rhythm, but I knew something was missing.

That trip wasn’t just about collecting paintings—it was about collecting truth. I walked the same dusty roads, but this time with purpose. I met artists who spoke through color. I saw textures that echoed the fabric of my own journey. And I realized: Vivant wasn’t just about art. It was about memory, identity, and honoring the places that make us whole.

Oddly enough, I still haven’t been to Bassin Bleu. The mystical waterfall in Jacmel I’ve heard stories about for years—the one with blue waters, high rocks, and quiet power. But in a way, it found me anyway.

Oddly enough, I still haven’t been to Bassin Bleu. The mystical waterfall in Jacmel I’ve heard stories about for years—the one with blue waters, high rocks, and quiet power. But in a way, it found me anyway.

As the painting Bassin Bleu sat quietly behind me. Regal. Elegant. Present. That’s the heartbeat behind this latest photoshoot. In the middle of the Texas woods, wrapped in flowing fabric and surrounded by nature’s whispers, I let the energy of Bassin Bleu guide me. Not just in wardrobe or pose, but in spirit.

The shoot wasn’t about selling art—it was about living it. About becoming the kind of image that reflects the soul of the culture I came from. And in that moment, I realized it represented everything I’ve been chasing. The idea of going back. The longing. The cleansing. The becoming.

“Sometimes you have to go back to where you’re from to remember who you are—so you can figure out where you’re going.”

So no, this isn’t a sales pitch. It’s a soul post.

A reminder that art isn’t just decoration—it’s declaration. That sometimes, a painting sitting behind you can hold more truth than words ever will. That Vivant is more than a gallery—it’s a portal.

To culture. To community. To self.

This isn’t just a blog post or a promotion. This is an invitation. To journey with me. To discover or rediscover your own “Bassin Bleu”—that place, or piece, or pulse that reminds you of who you are.

So yes, I’m finding my voice again. Through Haiti. Through art. Through Vivant.

I hope you follow this journey. Not just to see where I’ve been, but to reflect on where you’re going.

All pieces, including Bassin Bleu, are available through Vivant Art Gallery. But more importantly—thank you for being here as I find my voice again.

Follow along. Read. Reflect. Collect stories—not just artwork.

Let’s make culture visible, again.

Peace and Presence,

Florcy