Born in Plaisance de Sud, Haiti, 1955.  
Died in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, April 21, 1992.

Oleyant Antoine was born on September 16, 1955 in Plaisance du Sud, a small village in the mountains off the road between Aquin and Les Cayes in the south of Haiti. His father, Troinesca, aspired to be an Houngan, or Vodou priest. During his initiation rite, the loa left Troinesca and, according to Oleyant, entered his own mind. During his youth, Oleyant worked on the family farm. By 1971, he had outgrown the work and headed for Port-au-Prince, where he began calling himself Antoine Oleyant. He apprenticed to wood and metal sculptors and bought clothing and household goods which he resold for a profit on his trips back home.
Around 1981 A beautiful woman, perhaps Erzulie Freda, appeared in a dream and instructed Antoine in the art of drapeau, sequinned flags. In the ensuing years, he became the acknowledged master of the artform, moving it from craft to high art. On April 21, 1992, Antoine Oleyant died from a massive stroke. He was 37 years old.
(bio courtesy of the late Tina Girouard in the Sequin Artists of Haiti).