Marlene Steyn was born in Stellenbosch and lives and works in Cape Town. She obtained a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) at Stellenbosch University in 2011, followed by an MA in painting at the Royal College of Art in London in 2014. She likes to play with bright colours and fantasy to create images in dreamlike landscapes. Steyn draws inspiration from psychoanalytic theory and uses recognisable images from history and pop culture to make the observer aware of the urges in the subconscious. Her work has been compared to that of the Dutch master Hieronymus Bosch. In addition to her paintings, Marlene is also known for her clay sculptures. She works inventively with form and colour and encourages observers to delight in their own playfulness of which they were often not even aware. The scale of her sculptures has an extensive physical presence that forces the viewer to self-reflect. As in her paintings, she constantly plays with form and colour, which brings with it a strong spontaneity. Her work is included in several collections, and recent exhibitions include Home Bodies at the SMAC gallery in Stellenbosch,
the group exhibition X PINK 101 in the X Museum in Beijing, China; NON-PLACES in the Powerlong Art Center in Shanghai, and the Cape Town Art Fair in the CTICC.