Inverness Creative Academy
3 September–24 November 2026
Monday–Friday (9am–5pm) and Saturday (10am–3pm)
In her debut solo exhibition, Marina Gjertsen looks to scenes of Inverness for inspiration as she undertakes a personal journey, discovering how urban landscape and culture underpin a sense of belonging.
Marina’s paintings explore her visual surroundings to form connections with her world, while her poetry examines her experiences of childhood and a fractured sense of national identity. Peppered with narrative and symbolism, Marina’s work considers the world from a unique vantage point that is both personal and universal; both as a local and as an ‘outsider’.
In recognition that a sense of belonging can come from the people you surround yourself with, Marina has invited artists and poets who have been part of her creative journey to exhibit selected pieces in a curated section of the exhibition.
Artist Statement: I paint and write to make sense of my surroundings. I am interested in exploring our place in the world – how do we, as humans, belong to this earth? From the perspective as an individual, examining my own fragmented sense of identity and belonging – and as a society, considering how we interact with our environment. I work with oils and acrylics, aiming to capture light by painting shade. I look for the spaces where man-made and natural overlap; where electric light meets twilight and connects the shapes of urban and untamed.
Born in the Scottish Borders, Marina’s family emigrated and she spent her early childhood in Ontario, Canada before returning to the central belt of Scotland at the age of seven. She studied Geography and Computing Science at the University of Glasgow, graduating in 2001; before following her instinct to paint and attending Grays School of Art in Aberdeen, graduating in 2005. Intrigued by newly-emerging digital processes at the time, Marina switched her discipline from Painting to Visual Communication, honing in on Flash animation. She carved out a career working as a Digital Designer to the broadcast industry, contracting for clients such as BBC Worldwide, Red Bee Media and Sky UK among others, while flitting between Inverness, Glasgow and London. Creative output during this time was largely directed at her corporate work and highlights include working on campaigns for Charlie and Lola (BBC Worldwide) and David Attenborough’s Natural Curiosities (Red Bee Media, for UKTV Eden). She produced just a few paintings during this period.
While living in London, Marina met her husband Stephen; they chose to settle in Inverness in 2015 to raise their young family near the homes of Marina’s mother and grandmother. After a transient childhood and early adulthood, this decision to lay roots has been instrumental in Marina’s creative process, explored firstly through the medium of writing – and later painting, after picking up one of her kids’ paintbrushes in early 2025 and rediscovering her original passion. Marina formed a strong connection with Moniack Mhor Writing Centre near Kiltarlity, where she worked for four years; before leaving to focus fully on her creative practice, taking on a studio space at Wasps Inverness Creative Academy in May 2025.
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