Dzama works extensively in sculpture, painting, collage, and film. The artist is also known for his intricate dioramas and large scale polyptychs that draw from his talents across a range of media. Dzama works in multiple disciplines to bring his cast of human figures, animals, and imaginary hybrids to life, and has developed an international reputation and following for his art that depicts fanciful, anachronistic worlds. The artist is also known for his work with The Royal Art Lodge.
He was the inspiration for Deco Dawson’s 2001 short film FILM(dzama).
Dzama’s work has been used on the covers of numerous record albums, notably The Else by They Might Be Giants, Guero by Beck and Reconstruction Site by The Weakerthans. He also provided the cover art for literary critic Sianne Ngai’s 2005 book Ugly Feelings, published by Harvard University Press. His costume designs can be seen in music videos for the Bob Dylan song, “When the Deal Goes Down”, the N.A.S.A. song, “The People Tree”, and the Department of Eagles song, “No One Does It Like You”, which he also co-directed. McSweeney’s has published two collections of his work, The Berlin Years in 2003 (reprinted in 2006) and a follow-up, The Berliner Ensemble Thanks You All, in 2008.
In 2010, composer Ed Bennett created “Dzama Stories”, a piece of music inspired by Marcel Dzama, featuring Decibel and Paul Dunmall. It is music for amplified ensemble, electronics and improviser.
