Darius Quarles has been fascinated with art since he was five years old. Growing up on his grandparent’s farm, he found himself interpreting his visions of the world through sketching. Since childhood, Darius has lived all over the world, started a family, and even found himself in some legal trouble. But no matter the circumstances, Darius has always fallen back on his love for art. Today, Darius is the proud owner of Virginia Henry’s, an art gallery, where he shares his life experiences as a black man through modern expressionist art.
Early on in...
Darius Quarles has been fascinated with art since he was five years old. Growing up on his grandparent’s farm, he found himself interpreting his visions of the world through sketching. Since childhood, Darius has lived all over the world, started a family, and even found himself in some legal trouble. But no matter the circumstances, Darius has always fallen back on his love for art. Today, Darius is the proud owner of Virginia Henry’s, an art gallery, where he shares his life experiences as a black man through modern expressionist art.
Early on in life, Darius’s struggle to effectively communicate his feelings caused him to suffer consequences in his relationships with himself and others. After settling down in Durham, NC, Darius dedicated the next 21 years to becoming the ambassador of his own life. Over the years, his passion for art has blessed him with opportunities to evolve into the person he is today: an active member of the community, a devoted artist, and a loving father.
There is nothing in life quite like finding your passion. Tune into this week’s episode of Southern Soul Live Stream to hear Darius interpret some of his favorite pieces and learn more about the power of art to bring experience, emotion and culture to life.
Quotes
• “If you want it, go get it.” (04:09-04:10)
• “If I was going to fail, then I needed to fail on my own. I needed to fail and I needed to fail hard.” (20:51-20:55)
• “I’ve got things I can talk about, I've seen, I've heard, and if I can't really produce it, I'm gonna do my best to give you the idea, then you figure it out.” (24:33-24:42)
• “It wasn't until I got to a bigger city that I started to see the cultural influences of African American artists and art in a larger state.” (41:58-42:07)
• “If you buy art sincerely, just for yourself, you'll find that it's far more satisfying.” (43:25-43:31)
• “When you buy art, you're also telling the artists that I value you, I value you as a person, I value you and your journey that brought you to the canvas, and your expression of whatever it is that you're trying to share with us.” (44:25-44:44)
• “When I look at Darius’ work I'm seeing this mix of hip, urban, energy, and contemporary.” (48:35-48:42)
• “I had to get in where I fit in, and gouache was entry level. Then I just kind of gravitated to acrylics and acrylics are my jam, no doubt.” (49:58-50:09)
Links
Connect with Dariues Quarles:
• Gallery: https://www.5pointsgallery.com/darius-quarles/
• Website: http://www.virginiahenrys.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darius.quarles.5
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