Daily Inspiration: Meet Emmanuel Ronald Bertrand

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emmanuel Ronald Bertrand.

Hi Emmanuel Ronald, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I created my first portrait at the age of twelve. From that early, tentative drawing, I developed a deep fascination with the arts that continues to shape my work today. In the early 1980s, I attended art classes taught by the Sisters of St. Ann in Haiti, where I learned the fundamental structure of human posture and began focusing on portraiture. Inspired by these lessons, I started teaching neighborhood children what I was learning, creating informal painting classes at my mother’s kitchen table.

In the mid-1980s, while participating in a group study project during high school, I assisted an architecture student with his final assignment. This experience became a turning point, sparking a lasting passion for architecture.

After completing high school, I migrated to the United States to pursue architectural studies. I am a graduate architect who continues to produce art alongside his architectural practice. Over the years, I have worked with several firms in Miami and Atlanta, contributing to numerous projects throughout the southeastern United States. I also holds a General Contractor license, bridging design, art, and construction through a multidisciplinary practice.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Obstacles and Challenges During my architectural studies, the connection to art felt increasingly limited as a more constrained creative process took hold. The heavy emphasis on CAD, building codes, and structural systems introduced boundaries that often restricted creative freedom. Whenever possible, I leaned toward artistic visualization as a way to balance these constraints and preserve a sense of creative expression.

My academic journey began at Miami Dade Community College and continued at Florida International University, where I navigated multiple jobs while attending school. Living conditions were challenging, and I quickly came to understand that I was no longer home in Haiti. Despite these difficulties, I completed my studies and graduated in 1992.

In 1996, I relocated to Atlanta, and in 2000 I furthered my architectural education at Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU), now Kennesaw State University (KSU). After graduation, I worked with several local architectural firms until 2007, when the economic recession brought architectural work to a sudden halt.
With no architectural opportunities available, I began reconnecting deeply with my artwork. This period was marked by depression and uncertainty—one that could have been fatal had it not been for art. Creating became a form of survival.
I sought growth through workshops with renowned portrait artist Damon Carter, later working with Shane McDonald’s studio, along with other workshops along the way. At home, I painted wherever space allowed—often in the garage or basement. During winter months, the lack of heat sometimes made me physically ill. My creative time was also frequently interrupted, as I was a devoted husband and much-needed father to two daughters.
In 2017, I made a decisive commitment to art by building my own studio. The decade leading up to that moment involved deep soul-searching, with both highs and lows in my creative life. I came to understand that the “highs” were entirely dependent on my willingness to create—and that responsibility rested solely with me.
I selected the farthest point on my property as the site for the studio. Due to limited access, bringing in a prefabricated structure was not an option, so I designed and built it from the ground up. This is where the true joy began. The design process reconnected me with architecture, while construction awakened the fabricator within me. In that moment, I reached a creative peak.
My studio is the perfect synthesis of who I am—a space where art, architecture, and construction converge. With the help of Eloy Campos y compañeros, we built a 10-by-12-foot deck. Alongside my controversial Jamaican brother, Robert Green, we build ERB studio. My fellow Glassman, Juan Solano, provided the glass. I extend my deepest gratitude to these men for their craftsmanship and camaraderie. https://ronaldbertrandart.com/index.php/sienna/the-studio#&gid=1&pid=1
Today, this studio stands as my creative sanctuary, a place where my artistic process flows uninterrupted, and where I am most fully myself.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My Work as an Artist My art is animated by several energies flowing from three primary sources: a deep love for my homeland, my architectural education, and my interactions with people.
My Haitian figurative works depict familiar, relatable individuals immersed in everyday routines. These paintings are infused with highly pigmented colors inspired by the piercing sunshine of Haiti and are often unified by the omnipresent smile of a child—a gesture I seek to capture as a universal symbol of welcome and hope. This pursuit sustains my enduring connection to my homeland, which lives forever in my soul. The canvas remains my sole platform for expressing the depth and complexity of these emotions.
Creating something from nothing is the driving force behind my abstract work. This body of work is deeply rooted in my architectural education—an experience rich in metaphor, parti, gesture, connection and separation, linearity and detachment, geometry, mass and void, and spatial experience. My training emphasized both theory and hands-on process, and what I cherish most is the act of creating functional space animated by color and layered with diverse media. Basic geometric forms, paint splatters, palette knives, and masking tape become tools of exploration, allowing my inner child to take over for two to three hours at a time. In this process, there are no codes, no guidelines, no jurisdiction—only freedom. It is a dance between art and architecture that I find impossible to fully explain, yet deeply liberating.

Konpa on Kanvas
What I specialize in—and what I am most proud of—is my series of portraits of Haitian musicians titled Konpa on Kanvas. This body of work serves as a cultural tribute, aiming to keep the legacy of Konpa artists alive within homes while fostering a symbiotic ecosystem in which a portion of the proceeds from limited-edition prints supports the musicians themselves.
(https://www.ronaldbertrandart.com/index.php/galleries/konpa-on-kanvas)
Whether commissioned or not, each portrait session draws me into quiet contemplation. I wonder what lies behind the eyes before me, repeatedly striving to capture the subject’s emotional presence. I become immersed in positive thoughts about the individual—almost as if engaged in a prayer. Beaux-Arts techniques serve as the foundation of my practice, grounding each painting in a lifelong pursuit of learning and mastery.

Proud Moments in my career
Throughout my career, I have held significant roles at several local architecture firms, contributing to notable projects such as the Eastlake YMCA, the renovation of the Holyfield Boys and Girls Club, and the Portofino Project in South Beach, Miami.
One of my most impactful roles was serving as Director of the City of Atlanta’s Renew Atlanta Vertical Program, where I oversaw the renovation and modernization of critical city infrastructure, including fire stations, recreational facilities, and other public buildings.
I also worked in Columbia, South Carolina, managing the renovation of 1,100 apartment units within an eight-month period. For nearly seven years, I have returned to my alma mater, Kennesaw State University, serving as a Construction Project Manager. In this role, I facilitated the planning and construction of 25 specialized science laboratories, including the university’s first Vivarium and BSL-2 laboratory facilities. I am proud to have played a significant role in Kennesaw State University’s transition from an R1 to an R2 research institution

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?

I remain deeply connected to the world of design and architecture. I passionately enjoy visiting significant architectural works around the world and continually immerse myself in the theory and history of architecture. I also attend lectures by renowned architects whenever possible. I give great credit to my former instructors, Dr. Tony Rizzuto and Dr. Farook Ameen, PhD, for the passionate and critical discussions we shared during my academic years. I have maintained a strong professional connection with Dr. Farook Ameen through my participation in thesis reviews and critical sessions for graduate students. It is a great honor to witness and contribute to the growth of the next generation of architects at Kennesaw State University.
In September 2024, I was nominated as an outstanding Alumni Service Award. KSU Alumni Association bestows its highest honors as a worthy graduate as Alumni Service Award, Class 1999. An Award I dedicated to my Boy Scout leader Dr. Jean Hughes Henrys who thought me that serving other was natural and this was a reason to live.
My mother Jeanine Bertrand deserves all credit for discovering my inclination to visual art. My wife Guylene Bertrand for being my muse and facilitate the environment to allow my creative juice to flow.
I also wants to credit my collectors, who encourage me to keep growing. My fellow artists at Artisan Resource on Cobb Parkway Shane McDonald Studios.
My daughters Tyra and Chelsea who create graphic and help during my exhibits. It is a family affair.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ronaldbertrandart.com
• Instagram: Bertrand.ronald and erbcreation
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/e-ronald-bertrand-0717599/
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@erbertrand1938