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We are often asked what "Maruva" means so here is the story.
In 1995, Marcella Hayes Muhammad took a leap of faith, quit her teaching job and moved with her husband from California to Atlanta, Georgia to practice her art full time. Her mother, Ruth Hayes, decided to come also. Marcella soon met Virginia Thompson who encouraged her to start her own business. So the name, (MA)Marcella, (RU)Ruth, (VA)Virginia, was created. Virginia left the company in 1997 when she moved to New York. In 2000, Marcella's sister, Dianne Quarles left her job and joined Maruva. When we incorporated, we added DQ to the name. We also realized that the (RU) encompassed our grandmother who was also named Ruth. Finally a chance incident brought to our attention that our great grandmother, known to us only as "Momma Ginny," had the maiden name of Virginia Thompson . . . the exact same name as our first partner! So "Maruva DQ" represents four generations of strong, creative women; two sisters, our mother, grandmother, great grandmother and an angel who encouraged Marcella to start the company.
Marcella Hayes Muhammad
Marcella Hayes Muhammad showed her natural talent as an artist as a youngster, selling her first painting when she was still in Junior High School. She was so serious about art that she earned a Bachelors of Fine Art with honors from The California State University at San Bernardino. She also studied at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland CA. and at the University of California at Riverside. Her natural talent, training and years of experience have given her an extraordinary range of style and media few artists poses. She has nearly 1,000 original art works to her credit including oils, acrylics, paper batik, tapestry, fabrics, ceramics and more.Much like Picasso, Marcella has mastered various techniques allowing her to bring to the viewer a variety of moods, emotions, and beauty she sees in every day life. She treats her art with the passion of the old masters and with every piece communicates insights of real life as it was and as it is. The color… the detail… the subject… all take on a life of their own. Each of her works, whether a portrait or “plastic space,” are powerful pieces of history, researched to the finest detail and bigger than life on canvas. In every piece her clean, colorful detail is distinctive.
"I have to be versatile as an artist to be able to express what I feel and see around me and to share my imagination with others. I love life and life is always in transition. I must allow myself the freedom of transition from realism to abstraction, from decorative to figurative to express the beauty I see in life. Often I have so much in my head that I work on two or more pieces at one time, each in a different style or form. The freedom to use different materials and approaches is exciting and something I can't imagine holding back."
Marcella works primarily with oils on canvas but uses pencil, ink, watercolor, acrylic and mixed media when the work demands. She is noted for her smooth, clean application of oil, often so thin that one can see the warm, natural texture of the canvas underneath, which produces a marrying of color and natural texture she enjoys. Her expert use of color and shading creates visual depth and texture beyond that of the canvas. The use of balance, proportion, and color to properly direct the focus of the viewer's eye is critical to her. Her attention to such detail assures that each painting is worthy of respect and maintains a lifetime of enjoyment for the viewer. Her art is in private collections throughout the world.
In 2000 Dianne Hayes Quarles teamed with her sister, Marcella Hayes Muhammad, a fine artist, to form Maruva DQ, Inc. Dianne always envisioned Marcella’s art on various products and now makes that vision a reality through art licensing. Her goal is to increase revenue through licensing, product design, and publication. She has already established numerous license agreements into the craft, home décor and giftware markets. Dianne successfully created brand recognition for the “Ladies With Hats” product line, inspired by the tradition of African American women fashioned in elaborate Sunday morning hats.
“My mission is to share the beauty of our art and our culture with the world. I grew up in an artistic home where we transformed the ordinary into beautiful expressions of ourselves. I want others to be able to surround themselves with that beauty on giftware, home décor, stationary, jewelry, and every surface imaginable.”
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Maruva DQ Inc. • Decatur, GA 30034
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