Marina Illum is a visual artist working across a number of media, including video, painting, drawing, and sculpture. Illum draws inspiration from the movement and fluidity of the natural world. She is interested in exploring the subjective and personal aspects of human experience. The term "qualia" refers to the individualistic nature of sensations, emotions, and experiences, including the unique "feel" of something that sets it apart from its tangible properties. Through her drawings, the artist aims to capture these ineffable experiences and believes that art, poetry, and dance have the power to express what words cannot, and her goal is to create work that connects others with their own personal qualia experiences, fostering a deeper understanding of the self and the world.
She graduated with a First-class Honors degree in Architecture and Masters in Architecture from Oxford Brookes University UK. After spending extensive time abroad living in Sweden, Denmark, and England, Marina continues her art practice from her studio in Orange, California.