MIA Magazine Art of Black Miami December 2016 | Page 9

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH, 2016

AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE MIAMI HERALD

9

ART OF BLACK MIAMI COVER ARTWORK COMPETITION:
And the winner is… By Australia Gordon
Out of nearly three
dozen entries, MIA is
pleased to announce
Ronald Syllien’s Fear
as the winner of its
annual cover artwork
competition.

and empowerment to
the least of these.

“Fear is a way for me
to let people know
that it’s time to stop
the violence against
women! All violence
“I am not painting
including domestic,
for beauty. I am
sexual violence and
painting to send a
human trafficking,”
message and to make he proclaims.
the world a better
The 51-year-old
place,” declares
humanitarian aims to
Syllien, who at the
use art to highlight,
time of the interview
“social, economic
was unaware of his
and political
victory. “The piece
struggles,” and to

“Fear” By Ronald Syllien

came to me because I
have family members
that were abused.
And, in my travels
around the world, I
saw that women were
mistreated. Too many
women are suffering
at our hands. We
have to give them
an avenue to share
their story.” The
Haiti-born artist and
musician hopes for
a message of service

honestly depict those
challenges
in his work.
“I want to give a
voice to voiceless
people and people
who are stuck in life,”
he reveals. Syllien
earned a bachelor’s
degree in Business
Administration from
the University of
Paris. Though he is a
trained businessman,
his professional
efforts yielded
to the arts.

“Music and art are my
passion. In one word art is
my therapy,” he exclaims.
Syllien says the fruits of his labor were
worth the effort. “Women are beautiful,”
he adds, “I am encouraging them to share
their experiences without fear.” Zobop, his
personal studio, is located at 86 N.E. 158
Street Miami, Florida 33162.