Marlene Dumas creates drawings of human figures and portraits that have been described as "startling, frank and subtle." Her work is inspired by imagery from film stars and fashion models such as Brigitte Bardot and Claudia Schiffer and art historical icons including Manet's "Olympia" and Vermeer's "Woman with a Pearl".

Dumas does not use live models, rather, she chooses to paint and draw from photographs-either gathered from magazines, reproductions, or taken by herself-recreating the cropping, blurring, and flattening effects of this medium. Many of her drawings have an informal look; the paper, cut from a large roll is often scratched, stained and torn. Issues from art and religion to family and the artist's native South Africa a...