Pretoria – Marlene Dumas is a phenomenon, an international visual artist.
The South African-born artist, living in Amsterdam, became the world’s top-selling female artist.
In May 2025, Marlene Dumas’s 1997 painting, Miss January, was auctioned at Christie’s in New York for $13.6 million.
At the time, this was a record-breaking sale for a living female artist.
Marlene Dumas, born 3 August 1953 in South Africa, grew up in Stellenbosch, but distanced herself from this scene and society.
She chose to live and work in Amsterdam; her move was political in nature as she was opposed to the apartheid government.
“Intimate Relations” is a catalogue of an exhibition that visited South Africa.
The exhibition was hosted at Iziko, South African National Gallery (2007) and the Standard Bank Gallery (2008).
The co-curation was done by Marlene Dumas and Emma Bedford.
This exhibition catalogue (book form) is out of print and very rare.
It is a genuine gem for the South African art lover. It documents Duma’s first South African solo exhibition.
The catalogue also contains a homage to the beloved Afrikaans poet, Ingrid Jonker.
Jonker’s translated poetry is included adjacent to works by Dumas featuring a drowning woman.
This also features a reference to Shakespeare’s drowning Ophelia, which is a nod to Ingrid Jonker’s actual, suicidal drowning.
The Catalogue presents a varied, chunky array of works by Marlene Dumas and sells for R 500. With courier fees at an extra R 100. It is a collector’s piece.
The works are intimate and expressive.
“Intimate Relations” is available from Magic Tree Books, 1051 Pierneef Street, Villieria, Pretoria.
Come browse our shelves if you’re in town.
To order: mia.appletree@gmail.com
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