Othon Obin is the son of Seneque Obin. He was born on April 2, 1920, in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. From 1943-1961, he worked as a mechanic. From 1943 to 1961, he was employed by the American Division of S.H.A.D.A. as a mechanic and later by Pote-Cole Company until 1963. Artist Rony Leonidas interested Othon Obin in painting just before Othon's father died. Encouraged by almost all the other Obins and Seymour Bottex, he began to paint in earnest in the early 1970s.