Haiti a nation long known for unrest, deadly disasters and immense poverty.

But from this life of hardship a group of artists is capturing the story of Haiti on canvas.

From humble beginnings artists from the Haitian slums, like Michael Dumain, are winning fame and some fortune for their art.

[Michael Dumain, Artist]:
"Quite frankly, I am most comfortable when I am painting, that is when I feel truly inspired, when I am painting, the act of painting can lift me up of my sadness provides me with joy and hope. One day, I would like to get more than money from my painting but to give the world a glimpse of a worthy Haitian, to use painting as a tool to show the world the positive side of Haitians."

Henry Edward, an art critic, says Haiti's naive style has developed into one of the most diverse in the Caribbean.

[Henry David, Haitian Art Critic]:
"Painting, the art, it is you know the last value we have here in Haiti, we almost lost all of our values over all the trouble here, so there is only one thing that stayed with Haitian people, it is art and it is with art that it could happen, you know to make a way, so they could come out of the trouble they are in, you know, according to me they have to give much more value to the Haitian art."

In a country where unemployment is high and only expected to rise, painting is also a creative way to make money.

These paintings, portraying peasant life, voodoo deities and sophisticated political commentary, sell for as little as $10 dollars but for most Haitians like Dumain it's a small fortune that could lift them from the slums.