Villard Denis, known by his artistic pseudonym Davertige, was a Haitian poet and painter born in Port-au-Prince in 1940 and passed away in 2004. He grew up in Haiti and later moved to Paris, France, where he spent several years immersed in the European art scene.A member of the Haitian School of Surrealists, Denis began painting at the age of fourteen under the guidance of Casimir Laurent, Dieudonné Cédor, and Luckner Lazard. By 1956, he was deeply influenced by Max Pinchinat, whose mentorship led him to turn toward European modernist techniques. In 1960, Denis published his first collection of poetry, Idem, under the name Davertige, reflecting his dual identity as both writer and painter. His artworks, though rare in today’s market, have been exhibited internationally in Haiti, Mexico, Spain, France, and Canada. Through both painting and poetry, Denis bridged the lyrical and the visual, leaving behind a legacy of surrealist introspection and cultural transcendence.