Marcel van Luit | An Exclusive Interview

An Exclusive Interview With
Marcel van Luit
By Ariel SU

“I transform my dreams into pieces of art. I love to mix illusion with reality to create entirely new worlds. Worlds where I love my two boys to be in. Worlds where I want to escape to myself when life gets too busy.
When you use your imagination, anything is possible!“ – Marcel Van Luit

Marcel van Luit, a Dutch photographer and artist, is represented by the prestigious ADB Agency in New York, Paris, and London. His work transports viewers to a remarkable and enchanting world, and he has achieved tremendous success, particularly in the realm of contemporary digital art.
Through his art, Marcel skillfully breathes life into the realm of imagination by expertly manipulating tones, darkness, and light. His artistic signature is characterized by the portrayal of wild animals, nature, and magical scenes. It is truly a privilege to have the opportunity to delve into the mind of such a captivating artist in this exclusive interview!

Luit’s journey to becoming a successful artist is extraordinary. Originally trained to be a teacher, his life took a dramatic turn when he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare disease that left him completely paralyzed.
During his recovery, he discovered a newfound passion for photography and photo editing, using his skills to create enchanting dreamscapes and otherworldly images. His unique style, characterized by the interplay of darkness and light, quickly gained attention on social media, propelling him into the European art scene.
Marcel’s debut solo exhibition at the Corrado Bortone Gallery in Paris marked the beginning of his offline success, followed by showcases at prestigious galleries in cities such as Antwerp, Miami, and Sao Paulo. His captivating artworks have garnered international acclaim, and he has established himself as a sought-after artist, creating custom pieces for clients around the globe.  

Marcel also creates commissioned art pieces for clients from all over the globe, including celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Lionel Richie – and uses his work to convey life lessons to his sons. His messages are primarily about hope, trust, and love. Marcel wants to show that anything is possible when you imagine it. In his creative process, he looks through the eyes of a child. With wonder and an unlimited amount of fantasy, Marcel creates worlds he would like to escape to himself when life gets dark sometimes. In doing so, he aims to touch people with the emotions and comfort that his work brings.
Marcel Van Luit’s story is a remarkable testament to the transformative power of creativity and determination in the face of adversity.

An Exclusive Interview With
Marcel van Luit
By Ariel SU

Art Market Magazine: Marcel, it’s a pleasure to have this interview with you. Congratulations on being awarded the GOLD LIST. Your art is fascinating from both the philosophical aspect and the visually beautiful high technique. You are an internationally acclaimed artist who was drawn to the art field several years ago. Where did the passion for art come from? Did you grow up in an artistic environment?

Marcel van Luit: Thank you, it’s my pleasure, and I’m incredibly honored! No, I didn’t grow up in an artistic environment. Honestly, I wasn’t surrounded by art at all when I was young and only cared about playing outside in nature. I think that’s where my love for nature and animals started. However, I did love to draw when I was a kid. I was drawing from images for hours and hours. It was my way to relax; when I look back, it was my first form of creative expression. But at the time, I had no clue about art and had never set foot in a museum or art gallery.  

Art Market Magazine: Tell us about the circumstances that led you to create this magnificent art.

Marcel van Luit: It’s been a crazy but beautiful journey to where I am today. A few months after my oldest son (Otis, now nine years old) was born, I was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (Guillain-Barre (gee-YAH-buh-RAY) syndrome is a rare disorder in which your body’s immune system attacks your nerves).
After experiencing complete paralysis and being in the hospital for months, I was transferred to a rehabilitation facility, where I took up photography and editing as a form of physiotherapy and mental escapism. As I couldn’t walk and go out on adventures with my son then, I started creating digital adventures for us. My work has evolved a lot since then, but it was the beginning of finding my true passion. Little did I know about what was coming the years after, haha.  

Art Market Magazine: What is the philosophical idea behind your art? Is it also being made to raise awareness of the beauty of nature and wildlife?

Marcel van Luit: Absolutely. My art is a tribute to wildlife and nature. I am so fascinated by animals and in awe of their beauty. I want to show our surroundings and animals as treasures to care for. It’s my way of raising awareness of nature and animals by showing their beauty.

Art Market Magazine: Which artists would you say have influenced your artistic style?

Marcel van Luit:  I would say, Salvador Dali. I’m so inspired by his work. Salvador Dali captured his imagination in every artwork. My art is also an expression of my imagination and dreams. I love that his work has no boundaries because it’s Surrealism. So many people call my work Modern Surrealism, and I think it is precisely what it is.  

Art Market Magazine: Let’s talk about the technique behind your art. Where does the idea for the artwork come from? Which apps do you use? Do you prepare sketches before starting the entire process? Can you describe the workflow from the point of the idea to the final outcome?

Marcel van Luit: I never work with sketches; I just start. My best works began with no plan and just a subject, such as a particular animal, a specific tree, or even a piece of porcelain I came across. Inspiration is everywhere. Most of the time, it’s a feeling or emotion I want to work towards. When I’m creating, I feel like I’m in a trance, I put on my music, and my head keeps overflowing with ideas. I also do private commissions where more boundaries are set by clients who like to see specific elements, models, or symbolism, and that feels like a small plan for me to start with. But also with commissions, I have never done a sketch before, and I need my creative freedom to get my inspiration flowing, so I let it just come to me. I work with a lot of different software programs, and I do a lot of digital drawing.  

“Stay close to yourself! Find your own signature style and stick to it so people start recognizing your work. Always keep dreaming; no dream is too big to achieve! “ – Marcel Van Luit

Art Market Magazine: You usually create large-scale limited print editions. Do you feel it’s necessary to strengthen the artwork with its large-scale printing, or is it essential to bring more awareness to details?

Marcel van Luit:  I love how large-scale art pieces significantly impact the viewer. And yes, it’s also for bringing more attention to all details. I love creating works of art that you can look at every day and find more and more details and elements you didn’t notice before. So, in many of my pieces, I leave these hidden gems for the viewers to discover. For example, I use a lot of symbolism in my work, which is sometimes not even noticed when you take a quick look at my work. But when you look at it longer, with more profound attention, you will find them and the story unfolds to you.  

Art Market Magazine: Tell us about the latest exhibitions. You had several solo exhibitions in Mexico and Brazil, and the latest show in London took place in Oxford Street in collaboration with W1curates. What was the reaction to your work? What kind of reaction do you try to evoke in the viewer’s eye?

Marcel van Luit:  I’ve had excellent solo exhibitions in many countries. Last year was great for me in Mexico, where we did a lot of shows. Also, the US is an essential market for me, and I have done some great shows there in the last couple of months. When my work was on display in the center of London, on Oxford Street, I went there with my wife to sit on a bench in the street and enjoyed watching the reactions of people passing by.  
So many people rushed through the street and suddenly stopped to take a breath in front of the screens. We saw couples holding each other, looking at the art, and children whose eyes lit up when they saw the animals in my work. It was a great experience to watch this anonymously from a distance. In my book, I wrote that there is always beauty in life and that beauty can be easily found in connections between people, nature, and animals.
I want to show that through my work because I think it’s comforting to know that, even when everything falls apart, there will always be love, hope, and trust as long as you can dream and imagine. That’s really what it is for me. I’d be happy if my work could do that for just one person.

Art Market Magazine: On your Instagram, we can see many animation interpretations of your work. Do you create these great video animations by yourself? Do you also sell NFT?

Marcel van Luit: I started to create an animated version of my work a while ago, and I have my team of experts to help me with this. I began to develop these for myself because when I work on an art piece, I always see it come to life in my head and hear music with it. So, I wanted to show that but needed movement and music with it to do so. So, these animations are the complete experience of my art. It’s a direct look into my mind and my own interpretation of my artwork. I sell some of them as NFTs, which is a cool way to market these types of animations. However, I also get a lot of questions from my clients who want to display my animations on their walls, just like the physical art pieces. So, I am working on a very cool new product for this, which will hopefully be released later this year.  

Art Market Magazine: What would be your advice to the young digital artist trying to make his way in the art market world?

Marcel van Luit: Stay close to yourself! Find your own signature style and stick to it so people start recognizing your work. Don’t get distracted by what other people do, be unique and refreshing, and don’t try to do the same as others. And always keep dreaming; no dream is too big to achieve!

See the full article in the GOLD LIST Special Edition #8

Website: marcelvanluit.com | Instagram: @marcel_van_luit | Facebook: @marcel.vanluit