Le Lieu De La Revelation | Courtesy of Carl-Philippe Simonise 

Before painting, there was cinema. Film was Simonise’s first love, and its influence continues to shape the way she approaches abstraction today. Over the past seven years, they have been quietly developing a feature film in Montreal — an abstract fiction that examines the cost of making art that dares to be political. “People around the world are silenced, canceled, even eliminated for speaking the truth,” she explains. “This film is about that price.” For Simonise, image-making in any form is inseparable from questions of sacrifice and resistance. To create is not only to craft objects but to pursue truth, even when that truth comes with risk. Their paintings, much like their film work, carry this trace of storytelling: layered, abstract, yet deeply engaged with the world and its fractures. 

Returning to Haiti as an adult and as a queer person became part of Simonise’s process of reclamation — living there for months at a time, learning how to belong, and reconnecting with cultural roots that continue to ground their practice. “I made a conscious effort to rebuild my Haitian identity during those visits,” they reflect, describing how the experience allowed them to feel fully at home. Though not religious, she lives a deeply spiritual life shaped by personal rituals, drawing from multiple traditions while building their own system of meaning. Community, too, is central: through spaces of dialogue and collaboration, Simonise sees art as both a refuge and a responsibility. “Once you are an artist, you have a platform,” they say. “It is a privilege. You must use it as a voice for change, for good.”

Simonise often works across multiple canvases at once, shifting between them as the energy changes. In their creative process, canvases are first placed on the floor, then washes of pigment are diluted with water and allowed to flow organically across the surface. “I let the water create forms my subconscious is promoting.” they explain. With physical movement, she makes gestures with their brushstroke, sweeping mixtures of color across the canvas. What begins as disorder on their canvas, gradually forms clarity. “It’s like a dance — which, for me, is the most spiritual thing.” says Simonise. Once one piece holds them hypnotized, is when she feels the piece is complete. The final result is what she calls “ordered chaos", works that may appear tumultuous but radiate a deep serenity, offering peace to both artist and viewer. “I start with multiple layers of chaos, and the finished piece resembles order — as if I’m putting pieces of myself back together. People feel that.”