Mark Fleuridor

Haitian American, living in Miami 

Beach Day, 2021

Acrylic paint on wall, 146 East Flagler Street

Courtesy of the artist  

Fleuridor’s mural recreates the memory of his nephew and niece going to the beach for the first time. In this work, he seeks to capture the thrill they experienced seeing the vastness of the ocean and playing in sand. The patterned bathing suits that the children wear are adorned with red hibiscus flowers and strawberry candies, which have special significance. The hibiscus flower is the national flower of Haiti, a reference to his family’s homeland. Strawberry candies were Fleuridors favorite treat as a child. They are featured in the work to allude to the sweetness of the moment he is memorializing... Beach Day functions both as a depiction of sibling love and a public display of Black joy. 

Being Held, 2021

Acrylic paint on wall, The Carol Glassman Donaldson Child-Care Center 

Courtesy of the artist

 Being Held is a large-scale mural that depicts tender scenes of caregivers and children embracing each other. Rendered in rich colors and patterns, the project explores the artist’s interest in illustrating the fleeting moments that shape one's character. Painted to resemble a tapestry, the work is a nod to Afro-Caribbean and Southern traditions of pattern-making like the Gee’s Bend quiltmakers from Alabama.  

Located across from the Miami-Dade Children’s Courthouse, Being Held’s primary audience are the passersby attending the juvenile and family cases held inside this civic building. The artist considers this work to be not only a memorial to the caregivers in our lives, but also intends for it to serve as a beacon of hope for the families confronting harsh realities within the court system. 

Mark Fleuridor received his B.F.A. in Painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art in   Baltimore, Maryland. He recently completed the Vermont Studio Center Artist Residency and the Oxbow Artist Residency. 

Photography by Zachary Balber.