Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Marlene Dumas (South African, b.1953) is a painter, best known for her unsettling images of women and children. After studying art at the University of Cape Town, Dumas moved to the Netherlands, where she continues to work today. Referencing magazines, pornographic imagery, and personal Polaroid photographs of friends and lovers, the artist primarily paints figurative paintings laden with psychological tension. Dumas works with gestural brush strokes and washes, mainly in oil, watercolor, and ink; many of her pieces are small and intimate. Her first major American shows took place in June 2008 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and The Museum of Modern Art in New York.