The late Haitian painter Hector Hyppolite, widely regarded as the first Black artist associated with the Surrealist movement, is finally receiving his first major European survey exhibition at Art Basel Paris. London's The Gallery of Everything is presenting a solo booth in the fair's Premise sector, featuring works by the self-taught artist who died in 1948 at the age of 54, just as his international recognition was beginning to flourish.

The exhibition comes after years of advocacy by gallery founder James Brett, who revealed that when he initially proposed showing Hyppolite's work at Art Basel Paris several years ago, the fair's response was essentially "Not now." However, following Hyppolite's inclusion in several major Surrealism blockbuster exhibitions mounted in 2024 to commemorate the movement's centennial, the timing has finally aligned for this groundbreaking presentation.

Born in 1894 in Saint-Marc, western Haiti, into a family of vodou priests, Hyppolite worked as a shoemaker and house painter before becoming an artist renowned for his vibrant depictions of vodou gods and Caribbean spirituality. He is believed to have created hundreds of paintings during his relatively brief artistic career, using unconventional tools including chicken feathers, brushes, and his own fingers to create his distinctive works.

Hyppolite's path to international recognition began in 1945 when André Breton, the French writer, poet, and founder of Surrealism, traveled to Haiti for an exhibition by Cuban painter Wifredo Lam. During his visit, Breton delivered lectures to university students and observed vodou traditions on the island. Through an introduction by poet Philippe Thoby-Marcelin, Breton visited Le Centre d'Art d'Haïti, founded by American artist Dewitt Peters, where he encountered the work of several self-taught artists, including Hyppolite.

Breton was immediately captivated by Hyppolite's extraordinary paintings and, along with Lam, acquired several works before returning to France. Some of these pieces were subsequently featured in "Le Surréalisme en 1947," the historic exhibition Breton organized with Marcel Duchamp at Galerie Maeght in Paris in 1947. Notably, Hyppolite's "Papa Lauco" (1947) appeared on the second page of the exhibition catalogue, which otherwise predominantly featured famous white American and European Surrealists.

The Art Basel Paris exhibition will showcase works by Hyppolite, including three pieces that were originally featured in the landmark 1947 Paris exhibition. The presentation will also include comprehensive documentation, photographs of the artist from 1946, and an essay titled "Haiti on my mind" written by Malian filmmaker and writer Manthia Diawara, who collaborated with art historian, curator, and museum educator Terri Geis.

Brett, who was introduced to Hyppolite's "pretty spectacular paintings" by a friend 25 years ago, emphasized the significance of this presentation. "This show is superior and better contextualized than anything else that's ever been presented. It's a unique opportunity to see his work," he stated. Brett described the works as "so unusual, dynamic and beautifully painted," noting that Hyppolite's personal story was equally compelling.

The exhibition addresses long-standing issues regarding how works by artists like Hyppolite have been categorized and perceived within the art world. Historically, such works were often labeled as "naïve" or "primitive," classifications that Brett argues create artificial hierarchies between "high" and "low" art. "These labels are intended to say OK, well, here is the high, and here is the low," Brett explained.

However, Brett believes this perspective is changing as museums and collectors broaden their acquisitions and the art canon continues to expand. "I think that gap is getting smaller now," he observed. "Every year, it gets a bit smaller. And my interest is to try and be an advocate for the low. Because I find the low is not really low. It's just at the side." Brett described Hyppolite as "really the first Black Surrealist in a real way—certainly, the first Afro-Caribbean Surrealist."

The timing of this exhibition reflects broader shifts in how the art world recognizes and celebrates previously marginalized voices. As Art Basel Paris opens to the public on October 24, visitors will have an unprecedented opportunity to experience the work of an artist whose contributions to Surrealism have been historically overlooked despite his early recognition by the movement's founder.