Zoë Marsden is a British-born, Wellington-based contemporary artist whose meticulously detailed oil paintings explore the quiet poetry of derelict, abandoned, and architecturally unusual buildings. Her works are rich with atmosphere, evoking a sense of stillness, memory, and emotional resonance. Each structure Zoë paints is something she has encountered in real life—often overlooked or forgotten places that she reimagines in her studio, placing them in ambiguous, moody settings that blur the line between reality and fiction. Her aim is not to record a specific time or place, but to invite the viewer into a reflective and open-ended narrative space.
After completing postgraduate art training in the UK, Zoë spent over 16 years in the international film and television industry as a scenic painter and prosthetic makeup artist. Her credits include some of the most iconic productions of the 21st century, including Harry Potter, Star Wars, The Hobbit, Game of Thrones, Avatar, and Ghost in the Shell. This background in cinematic visual storytelling and technical precision continues to inform her painting practice, especially in her attention to light, surface, and mood.
In 2014, Zoë relocated to Wellington, New Zealand, where she now lives with her family. After stepping back from the film industry, she returned fully to fine art in 2022, bringing with her a renewed focus and a distinct visual language that quickly drew critical attention. Since then, she has exhibited extensively across New Zealand and has been recognised with several major awards, including the Supreme Award at the 2024 Craigs Aspiring Art Prize for her haunting work The Lookout. Her paintings have also been finalists in prestigious competitions such as the New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Awards and the Walker & Hall Waiheke Art Award.
