Ten-year-old artist captures borough through painting

Marina Gruzer. Pic: Marina Gruzer.

Marina Gruzer. Pic: Marina Gruzer.

Ten-year-old artist Marina Gruzer, who has dedicated her time to capturing Hackney through art, will have her work shown in an exhibition at the Long White Cloud café next week.

Born in Russia, Gruzer moved to England five years ago. She has since spent months travelling from her home just outside London, to Hackney, in a bid to record the borough through her work.

Her new exhibition, entitled “From Hackney with Love” will feature 20 paintings of places and moments of daily life across Hackney, from Broadway Market to Victoria Park.

Tannaz Oroumchi, of the Long White Cloud in Hoxton, said: “We actually approached Marina because we heard she is a really good painter and I thought it would be amazing to encourage that.”

“We are always establishing other artists because the area is so full of them and to have a 10-year-old show them how to do it is great!”


Gruzer said: “I paint on the street if the weather is good, but if it is raining I will just paint from a photograph. I like painting in Hackney because the buildings are very old and quite detailed.”

“Sometimes, if the place has some nice colours or buildings I might want to paint that…. I like making the sky light, and making different tones in it.”

She added: “To maintain that playfulness that a child has and not become so conscious when you are painting as well, that is something that should never be lost as an artist. I think that if Marina could proceed in the way that she paints now, she is on to a very successful career.”

Gruzer has had her work featured in a London exhibition before, as well as a show in St Petersburg.

Her latest exhibition starts on Wednesday at 6:30pm at the Long White Cloud in Hackney Road.

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