Marcel Dzama (Canadian, b.1974) is a draughtsman, painter, and filmmaker best known for his fantastical pen-and-ink figure drawings. Born in Winnipeg, he studied at the University of Manitoba, where he founded The Royal Art Lodge, a group of students dedicated to drawing and illustration. Dzama’s subject matter focuses on slender women, cowboys, talking trees, and animals, and he often uses a muted color scheme of earthy greens, reds, and browns. Inspired by the Surrealist and Dada movements, as well as fairy tales, Dzama combines whimsy with elements of dark humor, nightmare, and absurdity.
In films such as The Lotus Eaters (2005–2007) and The Infidels (2009), he creates a violent world of tree creatures, bears, and humanoid animals. One of his most recent works, a diorama titled Rebellion Lay in Her Way (2011), uses wood, glass, and collage to create a chaotic world inspired by Victorian melodrama. Dzama has branched out into the commercial and entertainment industries, and has illustrated album covers and novels. His work has been exhibited at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and the Kunsthalle Mannheim in Germany.
He lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
