We were lucky to catch up with David Marion recently and have shared our conversation below.
David, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I was drawn to art at a very young age. My story may sound like the typical child artist narrative but my affection for cartoons and comic books really aided my desire to pursue art. I vividly remember creating comic books and going around my neighborhood and selling them for a dollar. My sister even employed me to draw cartoons on her friends jeans back in the early 90’s during the “TLC” era. I think what really opened my eyes was when a news crew came to my school and interviewed me when I was in the 2nd grade. I had turned in a book report about voltures. One thing I would do is once I finished an assignment I would draw a picture to accompany my work (sort of like my reward for completing work). To my surprise, the teacher reached out to someone and they came to interview me about my artwork. It was the first time I really felt important and I saw how art had the ability to inspire and influence others. To this day I still have that newspaper article clipping.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
South Carolina native, David Marion, is an innate artist currently based in Richmond, VA, weaving vibrant narratives through his thematic paintings. Unveiling his artistic prowess from a young age, Marion’s passion for creation persisted alongside his architectural pursuits, culminating in a Bachelor’s degree from Hampton University. With oil as his chosen medium, he has honed his expertise in figurative art and portraiture for over a decade, showcasing his work in galleries across New York, Chicago, South Carolina, and Virginia, marking his ascent to national recognition.
Driven by a commitment to community service, David, alongside his wife Tiara, established the Liberated Flow Charity Art Gala. This initiative utilizes art as a catalyst for change, supporting non-profits through awareness and fundraising. Marion’s civic contributions extend to being the featured “official poster” artist for the RVA 2nd Street Festival (2015-2018) and a selected artist for RVA Community Makers, crafting a painting honoring a living community figure displayed at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art in 2021.
Infusing his creations with personal experiences, David Marion’s art transcends as a commentary on black life, family, and the struggles inherent in being black in America. Each piece serves as a positive testament, depicting themes that resonate universally. For Marion, art is a potent medium of communication, a platform to share his worldview, and a testament to inspire and awaken the latent gifts within others.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Once I moved to Richmond, VA I really struggled to find my place as an artist. I was creating so much work but wouldn’t showcase it out of fear of my work not being accepted. I remember meeting with an art consultant and having her critique my work. She gave me two sound pieces of advice that day. One – make sure that I have a cohesive body of work that illustrates a thought or idea. Two – never be the sole collector of your own work. Meaning don’t be afraid to get out there and show your work. As artists we have a responsibility to share our work for whoever may be inspired by it. Early on I found rejection as a normal part of my process. I would go to the shows seeing the work that was accepted over mines knowing that my work was better. But instead of giving up and shying away that only lit a fire in me to prove to everyone that rejected me that they were wrong. And that is exactly would I did and am still doing to this day.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
One of the things that I had to unlearn was to never create art out of necessity. I found myself in a place where I was only creating the type of art that I thought others would want to see. Work that was pop or trendy that I would see in other types of galleries. Doing this only created more resentment because it wasn’t the type of work that inspired me. I had to quickly learn that I must create art for me and tell my story through my art. Once I did that there was a shift in my audience and I started to create a recognizable style that many could resonate with. I also felt more pride in knowing that so many were able to see themselves in my work and wanted to follow me along my journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.liberatedflow.com
- Instagram: davidmariong
- Facebook: David Marion