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Oliver Marsden was born in Reading in 1973, his father being a Research Chemist. He studied at Edinburgh College of Art where the artist Glen Onwin was a significant influence on his practice, graduating from the MA programme in 1997. He undertook residencies in Montpelier, France and Cleveland Institute of Art in Ohio, US, and won the Arthur Anderson prize for Best Young Artist.

He had solo shows at the Spencer Brownstone Gallery in New York straight from college in consecutive years from 1997 to 1999, and the Blue Gallery in London from 1998 to 2005. He began his working relationship with dealer Toby Clarke at the Fine Arts Society in 2007, with his solo show at the gallery "Cromatique" following in 2008. Clarke then set up Vigo Gallery in Dering street in London where Marsden has shown his “Fades” series in 2014 and 2017. He is best known for his “Harmonics” series which represent the range of his influences and interests, from Minimalism and Colour Field painting in Art; to Sacred Geometry and Sonic resonances in Science; Buddhist spiritual practice and the philosophy of Alan Watts and the West Coast culture of music; surfing, skating and bmx cycling in sport. The eminent Leonardo da Vinci scholar, Martin Kemp, has said his paintings “have acquired their scientific look through the artist’s absorption of the vocabulary of those types of images rather than because they depict specific substances or phenomena.

Marsden undertook a Hioruchi Foundation residency at Nagano in 2009, with a subesequent show at the Koumi Machi Museum, where he presented his “In Praise of Light” exhibition. He has shown with gallerist Hilario Galguera in Mexico in 2015 and Leipzig in 2009 respectively. His work has been in a range of group shows including the RA Summer Show 2016 and in his home county of Gloucesterhire at SVA studios 2012.

His work is in range of private and public collections including Murderme and David Roberts Foundation, London, Hioriuchi Collection, Japan, the Jumex Collection in Mexico and Kresge Art Museum, Michigan, US.