Haitian Oil Drum Art
Haitian Steel Drum Art turns discarded 55 gallon used oil drums into detailed wall art from artisans in Haiti, an art form now recognized throughout the world. Hand hammered and hand chiseled from discarded oil drums to create meticulously detailed wall art from some of the most talented metal sculpture artisans in Haiti. The lids from the oil drums are removed then filled with banana or sugar cane leaves the burned to remove the paint and prep the steel. Once the drum is cooled it is cut from top to bottom then flattened using body weight, pushing with feet and arms and pounded flat to create a metal canvas. A pattern is then drawn onto the metal sheet using chalk and cut and textured with basic hand tools such as hammer and chisel. Hand smoothing rough edges and beating out convex and concave shapes to give each piece life the intricate piece is then signed by the artist, boldly with a small chisel.