Haitian artist Hilome Joseph, who signs as Jose, was born in April 1947 in Jérémie. He moved to Port-au-Prince in the late 1960s, where he initially worked as a carpenter. Through a mutual friend, he met the renowned Haitian master Calixe Henry, who inspired his passion for painting. Under Henry's mentorship, Jose learned to paint with a knife, developing a distinctive style that sets both artists apart in the art world.