Prayers in the Sacred Space
Notre Dame D’ Haiti Catholic Church, Little Haiti, Miami, Florida, 2021
Reverence, By the Sea
Virginia Key Beach, Miami, Florida, 2019
Charlot’ s work explores the fluid interplay of Catholicism and Vodou in Haitian spirituality. A common saying in Haiti is that the country is“ 90 % Catholic and 100 % Vodou,” a reflection of how these traditions coexist. These two images embody acts of devotion— one within church walls, the other at the water’ s edge; one seeking solace in Catholicism, the other honoring Yemaya in the ocean’ s embrace— revealing how Black diasporic spirituality moves seamlessly between African and Christian traditions.
In Prayers in the Sacred Space, a Haitian woman bows in deep prayer, arms resting on a pew, fingers gently curled. Draped in white, she is both tender and resolute. Photographed on Good Friday at Notre Dame d’ Haiti Catholic Church in Miami’ s Little Haiti, this moment speaks to the interwoven legacies of faith, migration, and cultural identity. In the stillness of this sacred space, Charlot captures both vulnerability and strength.
In Reverence, By the Sea, a Candomblé priestess kneels at the water’ s edge, crowned in flora, hands extended, head bowed in devotion. She venerates Orisa Yemaya— mother of all waters, protector of life, and guide to those who cross them. Captured on Virginia Key Beach in Miami, this moment frames the ocean as both a site of spiritual refuge and historical remembrance, recalling its role as a sanctuary for Black people during Jim Crow-era segregation.
7