Ponti Art Gallery is interested in buying and selling works
of art by this artist.
Marlene Dumas Biography
Marlene Dumas, born on August 3, 1953, in Cape Town, South Africa, is a contemporary artist whose work has profoundly impacted the landscape of modern painting. Growing up in Kuils River in the Western Cape, where her father managed a vineyard, Dumas was exposed to the complexities of life under the apartheid regime from an early age. This early exposure to the stark realities of racial segregation and inequality would later become a recurring theme in her work, exploring the human condition's nuances with a focus on identity, emotion, and the body.
Dumas began her formal art education at the University of Cape Town, where she studied from 1972 to 1975, earning a BA in Visual Arts. During her time at university, she was introduced to the works of avant-garde artists, poets, and thinkers, which broadened her perspective and solidified her desire to pursue a career in the arts. In 1976, Dumas moved to the Netherlands to continue her studies at Ateliers '63 in Haarlem, thanks to a two-year scholarship. This move marked the beginning of her long-term residency in Amsterdam, where she has lived and worked since.
The early years of Dumas's career in Europe were characterized by experimentation with various media, including collage, text art, and painting. Her work from this period reflects her ongoing engagement with her identity as a white South African woman and her critical perspective on the political and social issues of her homeland. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, Dumas had begun to gain recognition for her expressive, figurative paintings, which often draw from a diverse range of sources, including art history, mass media, and personal photographs.
Dumas's paintings are known for their gestural brushwork and the use of thin washes of paint, creating works that are both intimate and impactful. Her subjects range widely, from portraits of friends and family to figures from popular culture and history, each exploring themes of sexuality, race, guilt, innocence, and the complexities of human emotion. Dumas's ability to convey deep psychological insights through her portrayal of the human figure has established her as one of the most influential painters of her generation.
Throughout her career, Dumas has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions at prestigious institutions worldwide, including the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Tate Modern in London, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Her work is held in the collections of major museums, such as the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, among others.
Dumas's contributions to contemporary art have been recognized with several awards and honors, including the Rolf Schock Prize in Visual Arts in 2011. Despite her international acclaim, Dumas remains deeply engaged with the social and political issues of her native South Africa, and her work continues to challenge and inspire audiences around the world.
In addition to her painting practice, Dumas has also made significant contributions to the field of art through her writings and participation in film projects. Her thoughtful reflections on art, politics, and society offer valuable insights into her creative process and the motivations behind her work.
Marlene Dumas's art is a powerful testament to the capacity of painting to address the most pressing issues of our time, while also exploring the timeless questions of human existence. Through her unique visual language, Dumas invites viewers to confront the complexities of identity, representation, and the body, making her one of the most compelling and relevant artists working today.
Marlene Dumas Quotes and Sales
of Works
Ponti Art Gallery selects and deals with paintings by the
artist. Upon request, we provide free estimates and
evaluations, communicate prices, quotations, and current
market values.
If you are interested in BUYING or SELLING works by the
artist, contact us immediately.
If you wish to sell or receive an evaluation of the
works:
Send us a frontal photo of the painting, one of the back,
and one of the signature. Also, indicate the dimensions of
the work. Inform us about the purchase origin of the work
and any kind of available documentation (purchase
receipts, certificates of authenticity, publications). One
of our operators will respond to you on the same day. We
guarantee maximum confidentiality and extreme
professionalism.
If you wish to purchase works by the painter: Contact us
and let us know your request. We will inform you about the
available works. We also offer the possibility to
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informed at the beginning of each month about the latest
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