Haiti: ‘handprint art’ at the heart of a controversy over consent

A practice called “handprint art” has been causing lively controversy in Haiti for several days, especially after it became popular during festive activities known as Festi Color.

On social media, numerous images and videos show participants, usually men, applying their hands coated in paint onto the bodies of young women wearing white t-shirts. These colorful prints are presented by some as a form of artistic expression inspired by body painting.

In other contexts, “handprint art” is used in a more structured way, especially in artistic or activist projects, to symbolize solidarity or human presence.

However, in its version observed in Haiti, this practice has sparked many critical reactions.