18 Questions With...
Marvin Luvualu António

Mar 25, 2025
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Marvin Luvualu António
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18 Questions With...
Marvin Luvualu António

Mar 25, 2025 1
Share this interview:
Interview image
Marvin Luvualu António
"18 Questions With" is an interview series featuring the artists, curators, and gallerists driving art's next wave.

Marvin Luvualu António is a Toronto-based artist whose work encompasses painting, sculpture, video, sound, and performance. He creates immersive installations by combining raw and found materials, inviting viewers to think about issues of identity, race, and the body. He also draws on his transnational upbringing to explore displacement and spirituality, weaving these ideas into each project to create new, thought-provoking experiences. By shaping each exhibition around a story or speculative world, Marvin challenges us to reflect on our own perspectives and roles in the space he constructs.

Q01:
When do you do your best work, day or night?
A01:

I work best at night. Night time is my time.

Q02:
What's the first thing you do when you step into your studio?
A02:

I’ll either put on some music or smoke a joint.

Q03:
What's one tool or material you can't live without?
A03:

Acrylic paint.

Q04:
What's inspiring you right now?
A04:

Politics and animé.

<p><em>Oppenheimer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)</em> (2023), composed by Ludwig Göransson</p>

Oppenheimer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2023), composed by Ludwig Göransson

Q05:
What are you listening to in your studio?
A05:

I’ve recently had the score to Oppenheimer by Ludwig Göransson on repeat. It truly is beautiful.

Q06:
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be?
A06:

Honestly, the first person to come to mind was Andy Warhol. It’s almost cliché but he was ahead of his time. I also feel like he would have been a good, hopefully unproblematic white gay.

Q07:
What's a dream project you haven't tackled yet?
A07:

Having a solo show in Luanda, Angola. The dream is nearing reality though.

Q08:
What's one thing about the art world that you think people misunderstand?
A08:

I don’t think people misunderstand the art world. It is exactly what it shows itself to be.

Q09:
What's the best (or worst) advice you've ever received as an artist?
A09:

I had a gallery director critique my work as “personal” when I was in art school. And trust me, she didn’t mean it in a good way.

Q10:
Favorite exhibition space?
A10:

Not a favourite, but a memorable one: a group show a bunch of artists curated in an abandoned spa in Toronto.

Q11:
What's the first thing you notice about people?
A11:

Their hands. Or..their teeth.

Q12:
Most recent purchase?
A12:

A Martine Rose bag that cost a fortune that I absolutely do not regret buying.

Q13:
Favorite libation?
A13:

I’ve been sober for 10 years.

<p><em>Property Journal</em> (2024) by Amy Ching-Yan Lam</p>

Property Journal (2024) by Amy Ching-Yan Lam

Q14:
A book that everyone should read?
A14:

Amy Lam’s Property Journal.

Q15:
What superpower would you want?
A15:

Invisibility ‘cause I’m a voyeur. Or maybe….I just want to be Storm from X-Men.

Q16:
What's a vice you wish you could give up?
A16:

Instagram.

Q17:
Is there a particular place or city that fuels your creativity whenever you visit?
A17:

It used to be New York but now I just can’t stand the smell.

Q18:
If you weren't an artist, what would you be doing?
A18:

Well, I’m also a Surgical Oncology nurse on an academic track to becoming a Nurse Practitioner.

The opinions and statements are solely those of the interviewee and do not represent UntitledDb.
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All comments: 1
unilad 4 weeks ago
timon con pumba!
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