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Atlanta artist’s tribute to his Haitian culture and resilience gets featured on iconic Dior handbag

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Atlanta artist’s tribute to his Haitian culture and resilience gets featured on iconic Dior handbag


It’s a cold and rainy day outside Patrick Eugene’s studio in Atlanta, but as you walk in, you immediately feel the warmth of his art.

Eugene started painting at 27. He’s self-taught and doesn’t use photos for reference.

“Every piece that I paint has a flower or plant somewhere in the piece, and that’s an ode to my mother and grandmother. I grew up being my mother’s assistant with gardening,” he said.

Eugene is Haitian-American. He tries to honor his heritage through his work. Now, elements of that Caribbean culture are gracing the handbags of one of the most iconic French fashion houses.

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Patrick Eugene in his Atlanta studio.

CBS News Atlanta


The Atlanta artist was handpicked by Dior to reinterpret the brand’s Lady Dior handbag for the 10th anniversary edition of its Dior Lady Art Project.

“Instantly, I felt this was something way larger than myself. So rather than translating a work directly onto the bag, I honored Haiti. I titled the series the Pearl of the Antilles,” he said.

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Haiti earned the nickname during the French colonial era because of the immense wealth made from its coffee and sugar production. It was considered France’s richest colony in the 18th century.

From 1791 to 1804, Haitians revolted against the French, resisting the European country’s colonial exploitation.

“It’s a phrase that they didn’t get to necessarily benefit from. It’s a beautiful phrase; it sounds rich, it sounds elegant, and that’s what the people of Haiti are. So, I wanted to reclaim that for them,” Eugene said.

Each of his bags is designed to reflect Haiti’s hilly landscape, adorned with a pearl, and brought to life through his signature color palette. Eugene created digital mockups, wrote an essay about why the opportunity was important to him, and sent it to the Dior team.

“They received it beautifully and flew out to my studio here in Atlanta with suitcases of materials,” he recalled. “We sat down for hours clipping various materials on the bag, what would work, what wouldn’t work.”

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Dior chose all three of Atlanta artist Patrick Eugene’s designs for a special bag.

Courtesy of Heather Sten/Patrick Eugene Atelier


Instead of picking one design, Dior chose all three. The bags just premiered at Art Basel Paris and will be showcased at Art Basel fairs around the world.

“This opens up an opportunity to have conversations about the work, but also the narrative about Haiti, which lives through my paintings always, but I found this as a vessel and a way to get this out globally in another way,” Eugene said.

Haitian culture wasn’t always part of Eugene’s work. For years, he focused on abstract pieces, but a trip to Haiti after the catastrophic earthquake in 2010 shifted his focus.

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“It changed everything for me, and I went every year after that, and there was something about the people, the resilience of the people, the history of the island that really spoke to me,” he said.

Eugene believes that when you tap into who you are, that’s when doors open.

“I think there’s something genuine about not giving too much of a care about what the outside world feels immediately, and so when I dive into it, it’s spiritual, it’s me and my space,” he said.

You can see more of Eugene’s work on his Instagram page.

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Atlanta, GA

Golden State takes home win streak into matchup with Atlanta

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Golden State takes home win streak into matchup with Atlanta


Atlanta Hawks (19-21, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Golden State Warriors (21-18, eighth in the Western Conference)

San Francisco; Sunday, 8:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Golden State will try to keep its three-game home win streak alive when the Warriors face Atlanta.

The Warriors are 13-5 on their home court. Golden State is 9-12 against opponents over .500.

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The Hawks have gone 12-10 away from home. Atlanta ranks second in the league scoring 17.6 fast break points per game. Nickeil Alexander-Walker leads the Hawks averaging 3.9.

The Warriors average 15.9 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.8 more made shots on average than the 13.1 per game the Hawks give up. The Hawks average 14.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.4 more made shots on average than the 12.1 per game the Warriors allow.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jimmy Butler III is averaging 19.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists for the Warriors. Stephen Curry is averaging 25.7 points and 5.1 assists over the past 10 games.

Onyeka Okongwu is averaging 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Hawks. Jalen Johnson is averaging 21.1 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Warriors: 7-3, averaging 120.1 points, 42.5 rebounds, 30.4 assists, 8.9 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 47.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.0 points per game.

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Hawks: 4-6, averaging 116.9 points, 42.4 rebounds, 31.9 assists, 10.1 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.0 points.

INJURIES: Warriors: Seth Curry: out (thigh).

Hawks: Kristaps Porzingis: out (achilles), Zaccharie Risacher: out (knee), CJ McCollum: out (quad), N’Faly Dante: out for season (knee), Corey Kispert: out (hamstring).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Atlanta, GA

Flood watch expands into metro Atlanta ahead of severe storm threat

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Flood watch expands into metro Atlanta ahead of severe storm threat


A powerful weather front is moving into metro Atlanta, prompting officials to expand flood watches as “wave-after-wave” of heavy rain threatens to saturate the region through Saturday.

The FOX 5 Storm Team warn that storm totals could reach four inches in some areas, with isolated spots in North Georgia potentially seeing up to six inches.

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Flood Watch in northwest Georgia

What we know:

A Flood Watch is currently in effect through Saturday evening for a large portion of North Georgia. The region is bracing for widespread rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches. Some areas could see locally higher amounts reaching up to 6 inches before a cold front moves through Saturday afternoon to end the threat.

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“The rain train is wide open and here it comes,” said FOX 5 Storm Team chief meteorologist David Chandley. “We got waves of rain tonight and storms. They’re going to be with us tonight and right on through Saturday.”

In the northwest, the watch includes Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Cobb, Dade, Dawson, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Haralson, Lumpkin, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Towns, Union, Walker, White, and Whitfield counties.

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KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST BY DOWNLOADING THE FREE FOX 5 STORM TEAM APP AND FOLLOWING @FOX5STORMTEAM ON X

Flooding risk, high winds

Local perspective:

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Thunderstorms expected overnight and into early Saturday morning are a primary concern. 

The primary concern for North Georgia remains damaging winds and heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding. While the threat of severe weather is lower Friday night, the FOX 5 Storm Team expects conditions to change as the front arrives Saturday morning.

“Flooding [is] possible in Northwest Georgia with that severe threat,” Chandley said. “I expect we may see some of those [flash flood warnings] across North Georgia late tonight and early tomorrow because that ground is going to be saturated.”

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A Level 1 “marginal risk” for severe storms has been issued for most of the area, though regions near Columbus face a slightly higher “slight risk.” Forecasters noted that while the atmosphere currently lacks the instability for massive thunderstorms, a “brief, spin-up tornado” cannot be ruled out on Saturday.

What’s next:

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Sunday: Windy and much colder, with highs struggling to reach the 40s and 50s.

Monday: Temperatures are expected to plummet into the 20s by Monday morning.

The Source: This article contains an original forecast by the FOX 5 Storm Team.

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Atlanta, GA

Serious crashes block Atlanta’s Downtown Connector, Lawrenceville Highway early Friday

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Serious crashes block Atlanta’s Downtown Connector, Lawrenceville Highway early Friday


A major crash involving eight vehicles shut down all southbound lanes of the Downtown Connector early Friday morning, causing significant traffic delays near University Avenue.

What we know:

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The crash was reported on Interstate 75/Interstate 85 just before University Avenue, with injuries confirmed at the scene. Traffic was being diverted off the connector at Interstate 20, Exit 247, while the entrance ramp from I-20 to the connector southbound was also closed. Drivers were advised to use Exit 56A to McDaniel Street or alternate routes including Metropolitan Parkway or Interstate 285. The scene was cleared and lanes began reopening around 6:30 a.m. FOX 5 Atlanta is waiting for a final report on what happened. 

A separate serious injury crash was also reported in DeKalb County on Lawrenceville Highway westbound between Montreal Road and Interstate 285. All lanes were blocked, and authorities said the incident involved a pedestrian struck by a vehicle. Both investigations were ongoing. The scene was cleared and lanes reopened around 6:45 a.m., according to Georgia Department of Transportation. 

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