Soft Soul Ceramics
I am a Haitian artist whose creative path began with a moment that shaped how I see myself in the world. When I was five or six, I wished on a shooting star, and the next day my neighbor, an older Middle Eastern man I felt deeply fond of, gave me a pack of markers. It was the first gift I ever remember receiving. That gesture, from someone whose presence felt kind and grounding, affirmed something in me long before I had the language for it. It remains one of my earliest memories of being truly seen.
Before I ever embraced the identity of “artist,” I explored the arts through music. I trained as a classical violinist, playing in orchestras and competitions throughout my youth. Even when I eventually stepped away from the instrument, I couldn’t step away from creativity itself. I moved through different mediums for years, searching for a form that sparked joy in the same way that early memory did—quiet, resonant, and deeply personal.
Carline Benois / Asheville, NC
Ceramics was the first medium that brought me back to that feeling. Working with clay gave me a sense of clarity, connection, and rootedness that I had been missing. Oil painting followed, offering a space to explore the sensory themes that consistently draw me in; color, sound, and touch. I don’t always know exactly what each piece means, but the process of playing, experimenting, and listening—to myself and my environment—is what fuels my work.
As I continue to grow, my art practice remains both introspective and communal. Being part of a BIPOC artist collective aligns with how I understand creativity: as something shaped by care, mentorship, cultural exchange, and mutual aid. My work is simply how I move through the world—looking, feeling, and trying to make sense of what I experience, one piece at a time.
Caravan Art Bazaar’s ART 4 AID program uses art for good by donating a percent of sales from artwork by participating artists to various grassroots mutual aid programs near and far.
To date, CAB has helped raise over $14,000 in funds for Hurricane Helene disaster relief in North Carolina, rainforest conservation in Peru and Sumatra, community land stewardship near Cherokee, affordable housing in Swannanoa NC, community art experiences in Asheville, cultural preservation in Vietnam, and more!
CAB’s ART4AID Program
