Centre

Marven Clerveau is an Afro-contemporary artist who has evolved in the visual arts milieu for the past ten years. He is a member of Diversité Artistique Montréal (DAM) and was recently awarded the Bourse Vivaité by the Conseil des Arts et Lettres du Québec (CALQ). Marven Clerveau's artistic approach amalgams with Realist, Expressionist and Surrealist aesthetics. Throughout his career, he has been influenced by the works of Basquiat, Frida Khalo, and Andy Warhol.

Clerveau was primarily concerned with self-imposed silence and isolation in his earlier works. Having dealt with a speech impediment and scoliosis all his life, he gives space and expresses the right of belonging of atypical bodies and voices and their desire to exist through his art.

Painting has helped Clerveau discover who he is and be comfortable with his condition. His first series of paintings were about self-portraiture and self-identification; a metal rod attached to the spines of his figures, alluding to surgeries he has undergone in his past.

As an avid hip-hop fan and music fanatic, Clerveau shifts focus in this project to represent iconic figures that have impacted the four decades of Quebec's unique hip-hop movement. Quebecois hip-hop is a thriving, youth-driven scene that does not get proper visibility in mainstream media or major distribution platforms.

Photo Credit: ©alignements

Vladimir Delva (aka Kapois Lamort) is a historian, writer, and hip-hop artist from Montreal's St-Michel neighbourhood. He is also the founder of Production Noire QC, a company working in the artistic, cultural, and literary world for fifteen years. Delva published Les Boss du Québec: R.A.P. du Fleur de Lysée, the first book focused on the socio-historical evolution of hip-hop in Quebec. With a degree in history from the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), he has held various administration, research, and archiving positions for the City of Montreal, McGill University, and various non-profit organizations.

In addition, he was a teacher at the only Pan-Africanist school in Quebec, The Garvey Institute, where he taught history, geography, and mathematics. As a rapper, Delva produced the album Prélude mortel: emceeing à mort, and the singles "Gothisme de Jean-François Papillon" and "Gore Trap de Vixamar LeGrand." These songs honour the paradigm experienced by the revolutionaries of the Bois Caiman insurrection of 1791. As for the music video, "Alex Grant & George Bonga," in collaboration with Warren Market, is a tribute to the entrepreneurial history of Black people in Quebec. As a researcher, Delva recently collaborated with CBC Radio-Canada for the podcast D'où je viens : le rap d'ici and In Flux: Poetry Films with the PHI Centre. Several projects are currently in production for the latter.

Photo Credit: Shad Market Studio

Gayance (pronounced "guy-ence") is a Creole word meaning "joy," an apt description for Aïsha Vertus' musical project, which is resolutely joyful. The Haitian roots of the DJ, producer and radio host are the driving force behind her sonic and spatial explorations. Her sets are a journey through Black music from the four corners of the world, delivered with unbridled energy.

Born and raised in Montreal North, Gayance began her musical journey in 2013 on a romantic whim, preparing a mixtape for her first love. Then more mixtapes and performances followed on radio stations, n10as and CKUT, which led respected local promoters to soon pick up on her eclectic taste. She began playing shows in the club circuit throughout Canada and has since torn through festivals and clubs in over 18 different cities on four continents.

Although she has edited and remixed other artists' productions, the pandemic allowed Gayance to explore her own projects. The result is the brilliant EP, No Toning Down, a confluence of broken beats, UK garage, Dillaesque, and Bossa Nova that has earned her praise worldwide. Shortly after, she released the single "Sirens feat. KALLITECHNIS," on Beautiful Music's first compilation, Beautiful Vol 1.

In 2022, Gayance will release a full-length album of original music and go on tour at home and abroad.

Photo Credit: Tess Roby

George Fok (born in Hong Kong) is a media artist and creative synthesist with transdisciplinary practice. Based in Montreal, his oeuvre explores the intersection of immersive experience, speculative fiction and aesthetic consciousness, with the objective of re-enchanting the homogenized and rambunctious world of modernity. Fok’s work has appeared in immersive shows, documentary and Hollywood films, and art institutions such as Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, GL Strand & Nikolaj Kunsthal in Copenhagen, and The Jewish Museum of New York.

As the former Creative Director at PHI Studio, and as a firm believer in redefining creativity through collaborations, Fok frequently works in conjunction with other emerging and established talents such as choreographers, musicians, and fashion designers.

Marie-France Barbier works as a producer for PHI Studio developing original programming ideas destined for the PHI audience and beyond. Marie-France works at the intersection of cultural programming, creative development, and community development. Having studied Communications and Cultural Studies with training in television production, she is passionate about storytelling and inspiring creativity through collaboration and purpose.

Photo Credit: George Fok