Five things to know about Marlene Dumas

For centuries the Louvre has been highly regarded for its collection of paintings, stolen or otherwise. Joining the ranks of definitive artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Monet and Michaelangelo is Marlene Dumas.

The South African-born artist will have her work permanently exhibited for history buffs and art lovers of the world to see in one of the world’s most prestigious art spaces.

Dumas has been celebrated for her powerful works that explore race and other topics. She becomes one of few living artists to have her works hung on the walls in Paris’ prized home of definitive art.

With a career built on thought-provoking works and paintings, we take a walk down memory lane to celebrate some achievements you might not know about the local artist.

Marlene Dumas’ 'Miss January' (1997), a portrait of a blonde woman nude from the waist down, sold for $13.63m (R246.7m), a new auction record for an artwork by a living female artist. — Marlene Dumas’ 'Miss January' (1997), a portrait of a blonde woman nude from the waist down, sold for $13.6m, a new auction record for an artwork by a living female artist. (Christie’s)

PALESTINE

One of Dumas’ most famous series of paintings includes an analysis of the Israel and Palestine conflict, with the particular brutality faced by the latter. This includes her 2002 series Blindfolded, with 20 portraits of blindfolded Palestinians, and a 2009 follow-up inspired by newspaper headlines brought to life.

ALL ABOUT MISS JANUARY

One of Dumas’ most famous works is the Miss January painting, which made history for the artist. Revisiting a sketch titled Miss World done when she was 10 years old, Dumas created its successor, Miss January, which takes a more shocking approach inspired by the “alien” qualities of the blonde centrefold model who inspired it. The painting would cement her as the highest-selling female artist, raking in R233.5m. This was second to Jeff Koons’ sculpture Rabbit, which went for R1.65bn in 2019.

REMEMBERING MARILYN MONROE

One of Dumas’ other famous works is her painting of Monroe. The piece was a discourse on death and its inevitability, reimagining what her autopsy must have looked like.

STARS IN DUMAS’ EYES

Monroe was not the only star she depicted. Her work also taps former US president Barack Obama a year before he sat in the White House, Amy Winehouse in the year of her death, and supermodel Naomi Campbell in her 1990s heyday.

WHERE IS HER ART?

Dumas’ work is found in some of the most prestigious art houses and museums, including The Hague in the Netherlands, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and San Francisco, and the Tate in the UK.