Francks F. Deceus | Carib-Import #1

“Carib-Import #1,” Francks F. Deceus, 2025. The original artwork is 36″x 48″ inches, and is made of  acrylic and collage on canvas.

The Greg Tate Art Wall at MoCADA Ubuntu Botanical Garden is proud to present our newest mural, “Carib-Import #1” by Haitian-American artist Francks Francois Deceus, from May 19, 2026 – April 25, 2027.

Paying homage to the immigrant experience in America, Deceus’ work is a timely representation of Black bodies in transit, at a time when xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiments are on the rise. By centering Deceus’ work, MoCADA aims to open dialogue about immigration, uplift the contributions of Black immigrants to society, while provoking community action that supports rather than disrupts their pathway to citizenship.

ARTIST STATEMENT

“Visually, the work is a travel suit created by a number of inflatable tubes, and floating animals and shapes in conversation with each other.

The work suggests a level of playfulness and vibrancy, as a way to make the viewer stop, look, and think. This is important to me as a social activist, because I’m always looking for new and creative ways to have difficult conversations.

In this particular case, I wanted to talk about migration and the immigrant experience from a Haitian-American point of view. I wanted to not only carry the joy, but in some way, also celebrate the spirit of resilience.”

– Francks F. Deceus

Black Immigration Statistics:

• One-in-ten Black people in the U.S. are immigrants. One-in five Black people are either immigrants or children of immigrants. (SOURCE: PEW Research)
• Black immigrants make up only 5.4% of the undocumented population in the U.S. but make up 20.3% of immigrants facing removal based on criminal convictions
• 70% of the people arrested by ICE are subjected to mandatory detention, and 30% of the immigrants in detention who get an initial bond hearing in front of a judge face the median bond, which nationwide is between $5,000-$15,000. (SOURCE: Envision Freedom).
• The average bond paid by Black immigrants (Haitians) is $16,700, 54% higher than what the bond is for other immigrants. (SOURCE: RAICES)
• Black migrants make up only 6% of the ICE prisoner population but account for 28% of abuse-related allegations reported to the National Immigration Detention Hotline (SOURCE: Freedom for Immigrants)
• 24% of the people in solitary confinement were Black migrants (SOURCE: Black Alliance for Just Immigration aka BAJI)
• 3.5 million Black immigrants are in the U.S. workforce and contribute an estimated $182 billion to the U.S. economy each year, including $35B in federal & payroll taxes annually, and $25B in state & local taxes annually (SOURCE: fwd.us)

Francks F. Deceus (IG: @deceusart) is recognized for vibrant paintings, collages, and prints that explore identity, memory, and belonging. His work combines pop culture with vernacular aesthetics from his immediate surroundings. His work often deals with themes of self-discovery, and his “Reclaiming the Water” series explores water as a means of healing, reconnecting, and celebrating our collective history.

Born in Cap-Haitian in 1966, Décéus is a self-taught artist based in Brooklyn where he has spent the last two and a half decades creating and developing his artistic practice.

He received a B.A. in sociology from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY, in 1992. Décéus studied printmaking at the venerated Bob Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, and in June of 2007, he completed a month-long printmaking residency in Gentilly, France. He was the recipient in February 2008 of the Samella Lewis Award for Painting in the Hampton University Museum’s juried exhibition, “New Power Generation 2008.”

His current installation “Caribbean Olympic” is a 7-foot-tall 3-part structure made to look like a drum which has been painted on. Commissioned by “the story of us.org,” it was first exhibited at the United Nation in 2025, then in Brooklyn Bridge Park, and it is currently traveling across the United States.

His solo and group exhibitions include N’Namdi Contemporary (Miami), Salena Gallery at LIU (Brooklyn, NY), The Brooklyn Museum (Open House), MOCADA Museum (Brooklyn, NY), the National Civil Rights Museum

(Memphis, TN), Fridman Art Gallery (NY), Mana Contemporary (Jersey City), Hampton University (Hampton, VA), and PRIZM Art Fair (Miami).

Works by Décéus have entered numerous private and public collections, including the International African American Museum (Charleston, SC), Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site (NY), Xavier University (New Orleans, LA), and the Schomburg Center, New York Public Library (NY).

Visit MoCADA’s Ubuntu Botanical Garden at 48 Lafayette Avenue at the intersection of Lafayette Avenue, Fulton Street and Fort Greene Place in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.