Marsh : Modern Art

“I was once a child and I understand the need for a child’s voice to be heard. They need outlets of free creative expression just as much as anyone else. I want to teach them a way to vent and explore the world constructively.”

-Marsh

Candyce “Marsh” John’s ever growing body of work is a self reflective expression of her views on existentialism. Representing the essence of what it is to live as a BIPOC and member of the LGBTQ+ community in a world of resistance, resilience and revolution during a new era of renaissance rooted in benevolence. Rising from the ashes of grief into a space of gratitude, Marsh’s oeuvre encapsulates an unapologetically blaque nuance of love, loss, and liberty by way of artistic expression.

Born and raised in one of the Nation’s most polarized cities, New Haven, CT. A place where tragedy and triumph are juxtaposed closely together, Marsh was able to paint the words caught in her throat in order to convey her pain and plight positively. Fusing together textiles and texture, natural artistic prowess and refined technique, Marsh’s art evokes radical spiritualism and culture while unraveling taboos, inviting audiences to travel the kaleidoscope of her life and lens. An otherworldly lens which alludes to Marsh’s extraterrestrial resonance as Marsh is an affectionate moniker and spin on Martian.

Marsh’s collection encompasses paintings, murals, graphics, artistic books and an array of additional works on various mediums from apparel to wood and of course, canvas while utilizing and even combining watercolors, acrylic, spray paint and ink to create a world of mixed media. From humble beginnings as a child cartoonist to a now provocative, contemporary style, Marsh’s signature is entirely one of its own. Such as her unique faceless mini portrait series in which she is able to capture the essence of recreating intimate moments and memories of clients sans facial features. A series that was inspired by a self portrait assignment where Marsh was the muse for her very first faceless painting.

The Daughter of both a single mother and late grandmother to whom Marsh attributes in large her ethic and success. Marsh was endowed with lessons that allowed her to manifest dreams into reality. Lessons that Marsh is honored to share with the world by way of her art. Marsh was only able to catalyze her creative prowess to its maximum potential after a close brush with death and the loss of her beloved grandmother. Art became more than an escape, it was the silver lining in a stormy sky. Feeling a serendipitous sense of purpose and destiny, Marsh acted on the sentiments of her new found passion, enrolling in Gateway Community College where she would later acquire a degree in Fine Arts. The initial commitment was intended to develop herself as a tattoo artist however, she simultaneously fell in love with painting and was reborn on August 16, 2015 after entering the Freeminds Company Presents: Exhibition of Arts, her first art show.

Her notable accomplishments and exhibitions include;

Art & Rhymes (2015-’17), Art House Presents: State of The City (2016), Rainbow Fashion Week (2016), Read’s Art Space: CT Arts Against Violence (2017), Blends Art Gallery: Less Guns More Roses (2017), NYC Grind Planet X (2017), RAW Artist Exhibition (2017), Nasty Womens Exhibit (2017 & ‘19), Art Basel; Basel Bash Exhibit (2019), PhillyArt Collective Gallery: Herspace Exhibit (2021). Founder of Juice Box N Paint, spearheaded the summer of 2015 for aspiring artists ages 2-12, one of her many community contributions is cultivating young minds with a passion for art. Marsh also is a published illustrator whose work can be seen in the children’s book, “Mama, do you love me?”

Marsh offers diverse services, hosting a variety of instructional paint courses that include Paint N Sips as well as private tutorials. She is a seasoned tattoo artist who also creates custom apparel designs, logos and of course, commission pieces.