Bio

Born on a tiny island the locals dub the “heart of the Philippines”, Grace Marquez’s island birth imprinted on her even when her family moved to Toronto where she grew up. Always living within a walk to the water - be it ocean or lake, this later surfaced as the subject of exploration in her career as an artist. Trained in the fine arts at Queen’s University, her passion for painting truly flourished when she was certified as a scubadiver.
Grace began translating her magical experiences as a diver into her joyfully colourful or at times atmospheric and moody paintings. She explores three primary underwater environments in her work - reefs and the abundance and movement of life found on them, shipwrecks and their often haunting histories, and caves and the evidence of how the planet was formed found in their walls.
Grace has exhibited in the U.S. and Canada and her work is found in private collections around the world.
Features:
- The Big Scuba Podcast - episode 77 - June 21, 2021
- Canadian Scuba News - February 8, 2020
- Diver Magazine - Spring 2020 issue
Shows and Awards:
March 5 - 8, 2020.
Education:
1996 - Sheridan College, Computer Graphics
1994 - Queen's University, B.F.A.
Residencies:
2022 - upcoming: September at Studio Faire in Nérac France.
Organizations: