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Her painting, Miss January (1997), is set to break the record for the most expensive artwork sold at auction by a living woman artist. The current record holder for this honorary title is Jenny Saville, whose painting, Propped (1992), sold at Sotheby’s New Bond Street auction for a little over $12 million back in 2018.

Dumas’ bold piece features a blonde woman with striking makeup, completely nude from the waist down, and is estimated to be sold for anywhere between $12 million and $18 million. This does not come as a surprise, as Dumas’ work has sold for seven-figures in previous auctions as well. 

The painting comes from the archives of longtime collectors and founders of the Rubell Museum– Mera and Don Rubell. After keeping the piece in their collection for over two decades, the couple shared with Christie’s that they are ready to part ways with it to “continue the family’s mission of collecting and championing emerging artists.”

It’s safe to say that Dumas is well past the emergence stage of artistry. Her work has been included in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Tate, United Kingdom; among others. Dumas has also held major retrospectives at institutions including Tate Modern, London; The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; and The Museum of Modern Art, New York. In 1995, she even represented the Netherlands at the Venice Biennale.

Growing up in the South Africa apartheid era, before moving to the Netherlands, Dumas’ pieces often highlight politics and race. As seen in Miss January, nudity is also a common thread amongst her work. The artist uses the vulnerability of the bare body to accentuate themes of love and identity and models scenes after celebrities, magazine clippings, current events, and even pornographic material.

Family, friends, and personal memorabilia– like Polaroid photos– also inspire the imagery in her works. Dumas’ paintings are often thought of as portraits, however, the subjects are not directly representative of anyone in particular. Instead, Dumas has stated that they symbolize an emotional state. Though oil paintings, ink on paper, and watercolors are her primary mediums nowadays, the artist has previously produced collage work, prints, drawings, and larger installations.