Born in 1974 in Winnipeg, Canada (where he later received his BFA from the University of Manitoba), Marcel Dzama has spent decades building a whimsical visual language all his own. The New York-based artist draws on folk and art-historical movements, like surrealism and Dadaism, to illustrate a world that exists somewhere between a vivid woken state and a dream-filled subconscious.

Dzama's iconography elevates elements of the natural world – such as flowers and wildlife – elements he often anthropomorphizes to bizarre and humorous effect. Together, they populate landscapes that mimic childhood fantasies while pointing to the deepest human desires and motivations.

The artist's ability to reinterpret storytelling traditions and classic fairy tales creates a familiar mythology within his work. Dzama uses simple yet potent narrative structures as the basis for much of his practice, which includes drawing, costume design, sculpture and puppetry.

Now, the artist is issuing three new editions available exclusively on Platform. Each print was created by the artist in collaboration with a master printmaker, who meticulously applied a single color at a time in a labor-intensive process to create these richly saturated lithographs. This group of works was heavily inspired by Dzama's family trip to Mexico immediately before the pandemic-induced lockdown. The tropical environment found its way into each print in the form of lush jungle settings and serene beach scenes, all teaming with life.