Turning point

Marina’s work explores issues of time, life and memory. She creates modern artworks in a distinct semi abstract style inspired mostly by water and the marine environment.

With the sound of crashing sea waves and the hot feeling of sand under bare feet, Marina Emphietzi’s story starts in Famagusta, Cyprus. Her family’s childhood home built along the scenic coastline, she spent most of her days by the beach. It’s here that she came to know the limitless freedom of the Ocean. Surrounded by the vivid landscapes of Cyprus, art came naturally to Marina. Her heart’s desire was to study art, although she would pursue a successful career in hotel management and marketing before finally achieving her life-long dream. She has studied at the prestigious schools of Central St-Martins and the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMASS).

At the age of 14, Marina lost her home in the trauma of war. The ocean and its waters, full of life and possibility, are a part of her most joyful memories. They are from which she draws inspiration from in her work and why her pieces have the power to evoke strong feelings of nostalgia and freedom. A world traveller, Marina has called many places home. The man-made beaches of Dubai, the crowded markets of Ethiopia, and now, the grey skies of London, U.K., each brings their own colour palette to Marina’s current work. Created with robust energy, her paintings have playful textures and a distinct style. They bring to surface lost memories of being near water, the sound of rumbling waves, the feeling of a warm breeze across skin. A metaphor of the transient human experience, her artwork suggests we flow through the journey through life, ever-changing and free.