The artist Marven Clerveau sees clearly

With An exhibition by Marven Clerveau: Visions Hip-Hop QC, presented from February 11 to March 26 at the Phi Center, the multidisciplinary artist invites us to discover not only his creations, but also to enter the unknown world of music.

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Throughout a journey marked by 20 large-format portraits of Quebec hip-hop figures, we are transported by mixed works of art into the musical and entrepreneurial universe of local artisans. The exhibition includes audiovisual installations, archival materials, as well as events and workshops through which the public can learn about art and music. “It is a research and a creation that you discover with me,” says the 26-year-old artist, who is embarking on a project of this magnitude for the first time.

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In portrait mode

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“I am a multidisciplinary artist, I do everything, I like to explore new things,” explains the self-taught artist from his home in Montréal-Nord. While this new series of creations combines painting techniques and collage, in his artistic practice, Mr. Clerveau also makes Manga style comic and is currently working on a book. He is also a fan of abstraction, who cites Basquiat as inspiration. The artist also has the habit of painting himself, an approach he shares with Frida Khalo, with whom he shares a certain sensitivity. “There was a self-portrait that appealed to me,” he says, describing the work, he says. The broken column (1944) by the Mexican artist, in which we see a metal column through the body of Frida Khalo. “I am an artist who lives with scoliosis. At the age of 12, I had a major operation: someone put a pin in my spine,” explains Marven Clerveau, who was inspired by the work to produce Disphl'Égo, an autobiographical series. With Visions Hip-Hop Qc, Marven is not his first portraits. “I often drew famous artists, often American,” he says, quoting his musical references and those of those around him.

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He worked on paintings by Tupac, Nas, Biggie, Aaliyah. One day, a conversation with an artistic advisor led him to a new path. “He said to me, “Why not paint a portrait of rappers from Quebec?” It is thanks to this project that I started to follow what is being done here”, says the artist. An exhaustive work of research and meetings followed, as part of an inclusive approach, to represent each artist, their reality and their history faithfully. “There are also rappers who have left, and who have been forgotten,” recalls Mr. Clerveau, who also spoke with relatives of those who left us or who retired. Visions Hip-Hop QC is also a tribute to those who are still present. “For those who grew up in Montreal, especially for young people, I thought it was important to show how rap started and who the rappers we have are,” says the person who wanted to introduce local artists. “It's easier to talk about Tupac and Biggie.” Mr. Clerveau praises the collaborative work, thanks to which the project was able to see the light of day.. He thus cites the contributions of Vladimir Delva, guest curator, DJ Gayance, who signs the soundtracks, and George Fok, to the visual archives. “I want to do a sequel collectively, so that this project has continuity,” says the artist, adding that he has many other hip-hop figures to paint.

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‍Learning in community

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“Drawing has always been my passion,” explains the self-taught artist. He tells us how, as a child, he used to sit in the living room with sheets and pencils to watch cartoons, which he then drew. “It was part of a need, to make me feel better. I was living in an environment where I had a lot of difficulty,” says Mr. Clerveau, who has to deal with dysphasia, a language disorder. “I heard more about my weaknesses than my strengths,” he says of his school career. “I try to express myself through my art, to release emotion. I am not someone who finds it easy to express myself by communicating directly. I express myself better with my hands, my pencils, my brushes,” he explains. However, driven by his passion, he did not let himself get down. “When I was in high school, I kept saying that I wanted to be a visual artist,” he recalls. His teachers preferred that he keep his feet on the ground. “I was told that it wasn't a profession, and that there wasn't really one in Montreal.” So much so that one day he considered moving to New York or Miami to become a painter, he who grew up in Rivière-des-Prairies and Montreal North. Today, he instead wants to show them the path he has designed for him.

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At the suggestion of a school counselor, the young artist enrolled in visual arts workshops. Everything is changing for young Marven, who is learning about painting, exploring other artistic possibilities and taking part in group exhibitions. “At the beginning, I was very much categorized as a person living with a disability. I wanted to explore and be like everyone else,” he says. He then became a member of Diversity Artistic Montréal (DAM), an organization that supports immigrant and racialized artists in their professional career. “As soon as I met these artists and the organization, I realized that in Montreal, there are a lot of visual arts projects, lots of interesting things to do. It's hard not to find them,” he says. Thanks to mentoring, he received advice from more experienced artists, such as the sculptor Bismark Villacrés, the multidisciplinary artist Moridja Kitenge Banza And the painter Chlag.

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“It allowed me to meet people who have the same passion and to know what the world of visual art is like”, says the artist. In turn, it is also thanks to DAM that the idea of Visions Hip-Hop Qc. In 2020, building on his portrait career, Mr. Clerveau joined forces with Vladimir Delva, hip-hop artist, historian and author of the book The boss of Quebec, which traces the origins of Quebec hip hop. Their collaboration is growing stronger, and Mr. Delva, who also performs as an artist under the name of Kapois Lamort, acts as the curator of the exhibition presented at the Phi Center. “It allowed the project to be more solid, and to integrate its vision. When you work together, you get the best possible result,” says Mr. Clerveau.

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Marven Clerveau received a Vivacity grant from the Conseil des arts et des Lettres du Québec to develop your project. To get started, he looked for a studio where he could work near home, but without success. “It's difficult to find a studio in Montreal North. However, there are plenty of artists. At the Henri-Bourassa library, which is not far from my home, there are often exhibitions,” he recalls.

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With the assistance he obtained for his research, he resolved to rent space in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. The trip takes him one hour by public transport. However, he still has a good memory of the studio shared with three other artists. He intends to repeat the experience, perhaps as part of another project, and perhaps at home, in Montreal North, this time.

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It is time for celebrations for the artist. Indeed, his exhibition marks a turning point in his career. With music, he is approaching a field that is less familiar to him. “One of the reasons I wanted to go into the hip hop scene was also to explore. I have often made art that talked about my history, dysphasia and scoliosis; I wanted to go to topics that I love and appreciate, to see around me what is happening in the world, in Montreal,” he says. While he is inspired by what looks like him, Marven Clerveau also has everything to inspire those who look like him. In fact, this is what he would say to them: “You have to have more confidence in yourself, not listen to your ego too much. When you have a goal, you have to think about it in a positive way.”

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Along the way, it's best to go by trial and error. “In life, there are ups and downs, you have to go with Plan B if Plan A doesn't work,” he advises. There are plenty of options, you have to believe in yourself and go with heart if it's something you really enjoy. You have to go for it.”

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‍An exhibition by Marven Clerveau: Visions Hip-Hop QC, presented from February 11 to March 26 at the Phi Center. Free.