La Sirène

Darius Garu

Croix-des-Bouquets Steel Drum Metal Work

La Sirène (Lasirenn or Mami Wata) is a powerful lwa (spirit) in the Haitian Vodou pantheon. She is typically depicted as a mermaid or water spirit, embodying the dual nature of water—both life-giving and potentially dangerous. The metalwork of the renowned artistic enclave of Noailles in Croix-des-Bouquets often features representations of La Sirène.

The roots of this metalwork tradition stretch back to the 1940s, when Georges Liautaud first began experimenting with the medium. What started as simple blacksmithing soon blossomed into an art form, with Liautaud's innovative sculptures paving the way for generations of artists to follow.