About Grace Marquez

Hello, ocean dreamers! I'm Grace, an acrylic painter deeply inspired by the underwater world.

My art career "officially" began with a Fine Arts degree from Queen’s University, but it blossomed into something more meaningful when I became a technical diver, cave diver, and scuba instructor.

Diving opened up a whole new world for me, filled with mesmerizing colours, the duality of water’s calm and energy, and the incredible scenes I’ve witnessed beneath the surface. These experiences brought my art into focus, inspiring me to express the magic of coral reefs, shipwrecks, and mysterious caves in my paintings.

I’m fascinated by how the underwater world transforms everything we think we know. Beneath the surface, familiar landscapes become something entirely new, shaped by nature in unexpected ways. Through my art, I explore these transformations—inviting you to see the world from a different perspective, where the ordinary turns into something extraordinary.

But my work isn’t just about capturing what lies beneath the water; it’s also about the sense of wonder and excitement that comes with exploring the unknown. These paintings invite you to embrace your own adventures. Whether you’re a diver or not, this art is for anyone curious about these incredible places and open to discovering more.

When I’m not painting or exploring underwater, you’ll probably find me hanging out with my dog Joey, travelling, or watching a good sci-fi movie. My work has been exhibited internationally and can be found in private collections across Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and France.

If you want to join me on this journey both above and below the water scroll down to sign up for my newsletter! 

Press: 

  • My Niagara OnlineNiagara Pumphouse Arts Centre Presents “Immersion” by Grace Marquez, August 13, 2024
  • Asia Pacific Boating Magazine, Final Inspiration, Soaring Squadron words by Grace Marquez edited by Nick Walton - Autumn, 2024
  • Revista Aqua/ Aqua Magazine, Portfolio, Grace Marquez Artwork interview by Mar Cuetos - Issue 69 July, 2024
  • Artsy Shark Magazine, Featured Artist Grace Marquez by Grace Marquez - March, 2024
  • X-Ray Magazine, Grace Marquez Interview and Portfolio by  G. Symes  - September 1, 2023
  • Diver Magazine, The Great Lakes Watershed by Jill Heinerth - Summer 2023 issue
  • The Big Scuba Podcast - episode 77Grace Marquez.. Fine Art underwater...Scubadoobadoo interview by Ian Last and Gemma Fleming - June 21, 2021
  • Canadian Scuba News, Introducing Grace Marquez Studio by Kathy Dowsett - February 8, 2022
  • Diver Magazine, Waterlust by Robert Osborne - Spring 2020 issue
  • Quest Magazine, Cave Diving in the Dominican Republic: Sun, Sand and a Mixed Bag of Caves by Grace Marquez - Volume 16, number 3

Shows: 

 
September 1 - 29, 2024
247 Ricardo Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, Canada
"Immersion", Solo show

August 2 - September 2, 2024
Anchor Rd, Bristol BS1 5TT, United Kingdom

 

April 30 - May 11, 2024
South Block, WASPS, 60-64 Osborne Street, Glasgow, UK
"Oceanic 31" Travelling Shark Trust UK Exhibition, Group Show

April 11 - 21, 2024
Gallery 1313, 1313 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON, Canada
Eco Art Exhibition 2024, Group Show
 
March 25 - 28, 2024
Deep Sea World, Fife: Falmouth, Cornwall, UK
"Oceanic 31" Travelling Shark Trust UK Exhibition, Group Show

 

June 21- July 15, 2023
Trebah Gardens,  Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, Cornwall, UK
"Oceanic 31" Travelling Shark Trust UK Exhibition, Group Show

 

November 30 - December 4, 2022.
Remote Gallery, 568B Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
"Ripples" Solo Show

September 13, 2021.
La Taverne d'Henri,  10 Pl. du Général de Gaulle, 47600 Nérac, France
"For the Love of Caves" Collaboration with cellist Emily Adele Williams and video presentation by Grace including her Lot cave paintings.

 


April 29 - July 22, 2022.
Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre, 247 Ricardo Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
"A Celebration of Gardens" Group Show

 

May 2021.
Conception Arts - Frieze Week Edition, Online Group Exhibit
Awarded for distinction with Art Business Scholarship. 

 

October 8 - 14, 2020.
North Dakota Museum of Art, 261 Centennial Drive Stop 7305, Grand Forks North Dakota, USA.
Two of her paintings from her "Look Up" series were included in the experimental exhibition called Art In Isolation.

 

March 5 - 8, 2020.
Remote Gallery, 568B Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario.
“Waterlust” is an introduction to the reefs, wrecks and caves that inspire her work. Get a glimpse into these sacred places below the water line.

 

December 2 - 8, 2019
Eduardo Lira Art Gallery, Wynwood Walls District, Miami, Florida.
As a participant in the ArtBox Project, Miami, Grace exhibited one of her soft pastel on paper drawings entitled “Coral Containment"