Marcus Aitken

Based in Margate, Marcus Aitken is an abstract painter whose practice explores movement, touch and material through expressive, layered surfaces. Working primarily with acrylic, oil stick and mixed media, he uses his hands, brushes and found tools to push, scrape and build paint into tactile compositions that sit between control and chance. Aitken graduated with First Class Honours in Illustration from the London College of Communication (UAL), before developing a painting practice that has been exhibited internationally. His work has been shown in London, Paris, New York, Milan and Kyoto, and is held in private collections worldwide, including The Soho House Collection.

Alongside his studio practice, he has collaborated with brands including Farah and exhibited at international art fairs. Drawing inspiration from the shifting rhythms of everyday life, coastal landscapes and the physical act of making, Aitken creates paintings that invite viewers to slow down and experience texture, gesture and atmosphere. His practice is rooted in experimentation, with each work evolving through an intuitive process of layering, disruption and refinement.