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Biography
My name is Mario Marcus “Marley” Stubbs, born January 17th, 1961 on the beautiful island of Nassau, The Bahamas. My art career started at the age of eight years old and it developed over the years. I then went on to display my talent in our national culture Junkanoo, where artisans, musicians and dancers come together to compete for prizes.
I have been apart and still partaking in the festivities for the past forty years. Designing and building costumes for the four (4) major Junkanoo groups (Saxons, Valley Boys, Roots and One Family). My skills were enhanced through a close friend who taught me how to Wood Carve in 1980. As a result, I developed an advanced way of carving my wooden masks and sculptures in an original one of a kind form. I took a leave of absence from my art to work in the Public Service from 1989-2003. Upon leaving the service in 2003 I then returned with a new concept of wood carving and sculpturing. I combined a mixture of African, Mayan/Lucayan Indian and a little of our national culture Junkanoo to create the originality in my designs.
The brush strokes in which I use on my work is known as a Wet/Dry brush technique. I drag the brush with a mixture of different shades of blues to give my art sculptures and mask an old artifact finish. I am often asked: “What do the colors represent?”. I like to use red and white but there isn’t really any significance for them except for highlights. But, the blue represents the beautiful waters of the Caribbean. I have a wide and diverse clientele from all over the world mostly from the United States of America and they often ask me “What is my greatest challenge when sculpting my creations?” I respond by telling them: “Creating that artifact look when mixing the blue for my creations.” Adding the right amount to my mixtures plays a vital role in my artwork being one of a kind.
Artist Statement
"Mario Marcus “Marley” Stubbs- My Artwork takes a view of historical and Cultural issues stemming from African, Mayan/Lucayan Indian and our national culture Junkanoo. Having studied basic historical culture my art brings a twist to these historic ethnic groups...
Often times my art sculptures and masks interpret the big nose, lips, eyes and faces of the various cultures in which I get my inspiration from and becomes a reverse form of realism. I use a variety of woods such as: Horse Flesh, Wild Tamarind Mahogany and Cassarina...
I have a curing process in which I use on them. These woods have different names throughout the Caribbean and are located in every Caribbean island. Each of my art pieces consist of multiple dimensions."
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