Marina Marza graduated from the Art Institute in Moscow in 1971. At the time she began her professional career, the Soviet government controlled art. "Official" artists who painted themes and styles approved by the authorities were given a stipend and participated in government sponsored exhibitions. Marza, and other artists who resisted this attempt to stifle creativity, were forced underground. This conflict between the government and free expression in art culminated in the 1974 event at the Moscow suburb of Belyaevo, where underground artists had arranged an exhibition. The government sent bulldozers to level the area and destroyed hundreds of art works.

Underground exhibitions, still deemed illegal, moved to private apartments and many of Marza's early exhibitions from 1972 to 1976 were such. In 1976 the official position had softened and Marza was admitted to the Moscow City Committee of Graphic Artists and also the Moscow Union of Young Artists. This expanded the audience for her work. She received several commissions to do book illustrations during this period. In 1996 Russian television channel 1 (Ostankino) filmed a documentary of Marza's art. (see video)

Marza has always worked to expand her horizons, and has maintained an active curiosity and an interest in different cultures. The daughter of a career military officer, she traveled a lot as a child, including a stint living in China. As an adult Marza has continued to travel widely and has lived at times in Italy, Germany, England, France, as well as in Russia and the U.S.. Even today she is a regular at "Carnivale" each spring in Venice.

A strong believer in continuing education and development, Marza has worked with the Russian graphics master, Natalia Zarovnaya, at the famous Senesh Graphics workshop outside of Moscow, and for a time she maintained a studio there. Marza continues to work at Senesh with Natalia during her frequent visits to Russia, and Natalia is a frequent visiting artist at the Marina Marza Gallery in Daytona Beach. Marza also studied at Art Academia in Trier Germany.

Marina feels that her work has been influenced by many artists but most prominently by Hieronymus Bosch, Marc Chagall and Paul Delvaux. Marza's creative imagination combined with her artistic talent has resulted in an art style that resists categorization. The Russian art critic Patsiukov wrote, "Marina's characters perform in a Magic Theater of mythology and symbolism and express a variety of powerful emotions."

A number of Museums have acquired Marina's work. The prestigious Russian Museum in St. Petersburg acquired "Marionetka" in 1994. The State Museum in Poltava, Ukraine has several of her works, and the Moscow Museum of Contemporary Art recently acquired a number of Marza's paintings and graphics.

Marza is truly an international artist and her works are in private collections all over the world including Germany, Japan, Ireland, Venezula, Mexico, Russia, and the US. She has had exhibitions in Tokyo, Hamburg, and Seattle among others. See exhibitions list below.

Marza's techniques include paintings in oils and acrylics; and, in graphics, etching, monotype, and collage. Marina opened her Fine Art Gallery in Daytona Beach, Florida in 2005.

EXHIBITIONS AND MUSEUM PURCHASES

  • 1976-1991 Moscow City Community of Graphic Artists- Permanent Exhibition
  • 12th Moscow Exhibition – Book Illustration Graphic Artists
  • 1981 Solo Exhibition Academia Scientific, Moscow
  • 1988 Solo Exhibition Dubna
  • 1988 Gallery “Camon” Los Angeles California
  • 1989 Gallery “Raum and Kunst” Hamburg, Germany
  • 1990 “Davidson Gallery” Seattle, Washington
  • 1991 Gallery “Sindzuku” Tokyo, Japan
  • 1992 Russian Art Festival, Nurenberg, Germany
  • 1997 Solo Exhibition Central Hall of Artists, Moscow
  • 2001 Exhibition Ormond Memorial Art Museum
  • 2005 Marza Gallery Exhibition “Travelling”

MUSEUM AQUISITIONS

  • 1981 Poltava Fine Art Museum (paintings and graphics)
  • 1993 Russian Museum St. Petersburg, Russia (painting)
  • 2009 Moscow Contemporary Art Museum (painting and graphics)