Marina Emphietzi is a London-based Greek Cypriot visual artist known for her expressive paintings that explore the fluid relationship between memory, transformation, and the emotional passage of time. Rooted in a deep connection to the sea, her practice uses water as both subject and metaphor, serving as a visual language through which themes of change, reflection, and resilience unfold.
Through layered texture, vivid colour, and tonal contrast, Emphietzi creates atmospheric works that distil the movement, rhythm, and shifting light of water rather than depicting it literally. Her compositions balance observation with sensation, capturing the tension between structure and fluidity while evoking what lies beneath the visible surface.
Drawing from lived experience and emotional memory, her intuitive process creates contemplative spaces where feeling takes precedence over fixed interpretation. Each work balances energy with restraint, offering immersive experiences that reflect the cyclical forces of nature and human existence.
An award-winning artist, Emphietzi has exhibited internationally through solo exhibitions, art fairs, and collaborative projects. Alongside her studio practice, she mentors emerging artists through the Marina Emphietzi Collective, fostering expressive approaches to contemporary painting. She will be exhibiting at FLUX Exhibition this September in Marylebone, London, where her work will form part of a curated presentation of contemporary artists. In this interview, she reflects on the evolution of her practice, her intuitive approach to painting, and the ideas that continue to shape her work.
Are you self-taught, or did you undertake formal artistic training?
My artistic development combines professional training, independent exploration, and over two decades of dedicated practice. I trained at DIAC in Dubai under Master Shakil, furthered my studies at Central Saint Martin’s, and later pursued strategic planning and arts management studies in Amherst, Massachusetts (M.I.T).
How would you define your visual language or conceptual approach?
My semi-abstract visual language explores time, memory, nostalgia, and impermanence through water as both subject and metaphor. Through vivid colour, layered textures, and expressive movement, I aim to create contemplative spaces where emotional resonance takes precedence over fixed interpretation.
Can you describe your creative process from conception to completion?
My process is intuitive, often beginning with observation, emotional memory, and lived experience. It evolves through layered paint, texture, and expressive mark-making, balancing spontaneity with a sense of structure.
Does narrative, symbolism, or storytelling play a role within your work?
Narrative and symbolism are central to my work, with water functioning as a metaphor for transformation, cyclical existence, resilience, and the passage of time.
Which artists have most influenced you historically or contemporarily and why?
I have been particularly influenced by J.M.W. Turner, alongside expressive contemporary abstractionists, whose work informs my interest in atmosphere, emotion, and movement.
What personal, cultural, or environmental influences shape your practice?
Living and working in London, my practice is shaped by emotional memory, personal reflection, and philosophical explorations of time and impermanence.
Where is your studio based, and how does the space inform your creativity?
I work from my London home studio, where a disciplined daily practice supports a more immersive and focused exploration of ideas.
What bodies of work or projects are you currently developing?
I am currently developing collections that deepen my exploration of abstraction, environmental dialogue, and the human experience.
Where can collectors encounter or acquire your work?
My work is available through exhibitions, art fairs, gallery collaborations, and direct engagement with my studio.
