Marilva’s journey started with the understanding that her practice has more to do with the transfer of stories than the actual painting itself. Her early contact with visual and expressive art was through drawings, sketches and dance. The drawing and sketching allowed her to view and observe the natural and vulnerable state. The goal was to convey what people are about without the filter and bring forth any intriguing parts and elements about them. Dance was another way of understanding what happens internally. Through urban and underground dance styles she quickly learned to develop a physical vocabulary and worked diligently on development of it.
Her art practice has developed into the creation of paintings with acrylic and oil paint. Thinking back to the way of how stories and wisdoms are transferred mostly by the care of women, they have become the main character in a great number of paintings. The strong use of colors are rooted culturally as symbols and emotions that express language and behavior. The contemporary feel of her paintings comes from her view of allowing people to move through and with time. Especially in the western world where time is of the essence and connected to the theory of monetary value.
In her paintings she sees time as a privilege that grants and allows people to explore their being in this world and particular. At times there is no specific timeframe and at other moments we need the contemporary time as the frame to see what matters, changed or stood still in our own development.
She does not want to shy away from what we observe in each other or ourselves. We deserve to be seen and validated in our existence and not just the acceptance as others might see fit. This becomes more intricate when the contrast between color, belief, gender, roles, language and culture is prevalent. By allowing contrast to exist within an ever growing need for outside data and information, you welcome the story to unfold. The people will listen, see and experience more of what they allow and embrace the unknown.
I create contemporary art that celebrates and amplifies the stories of the African and Caribbean diaspora. Through my work, I weave together threads of memory, migration, and identity that connect us across continents.
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