Kirjahaku

Lying deep within the urban metropolis of Hong Kong, Happy Valley is one of the most iconic racecourses in the world. It is also the chief source of inspiration for a new body of work by American artist Marcel Dzama. Jockeys ride through waves and cathedrals, Chinese symbols pulled from racing paraphernalia adorn the edges of paper, and bats swoop, hunting for prey. Dzama’s distinct visions of the racetrack come alive through a series of large-scale paintings and drawings, transposing imagery from his prolific oeuvre into this adrenaline-filled sporting arena. His new works reflect on the culture of horseracing and how the track has become not only a symbol of sport, but also of commerce, class, and wealth. This publication includes a conversation between Dzama and Laila Pedro. Published on the occasion of his solo exhibition at David Zwirner, Hong Kong, in 2019, Marcel Dzama: Crossing the Line is available in both English only and bilingual English/traditional Chinese editions.

Spotlighting the narrative and mythical imagery of Marcel Dzama, this one-of-a-kind blank book holds a unique space for creative play and contemplation “Enjoy what you are making, people can feel it in the work…I feel that art has been a good escape from the reality we are in.” — Marcel Dzama Drawing inspiration from folklore and fairy tales and incorporating art-historical influences, Marcel Dzama’s work has secured a cult following of musicians and artists. His celestial imagery, masked characters, and aquatic scenes resonate with viewers of all ages. The vibrant and fantastical work featured on the cover and endpapers of Dzama’s first Artist Journal enchants the mind and encourages unbridled expression. Each journal is beautifully crafted in Verona, Italy. About The Artist Journals The Artist Journals go beyond canonical art to capture the modern and contemporary spirit of today’s most acclaimed painters, sculptors, and other major creative forces. Created in close collaboration with each artist or artist’s estate, these beautifully produced blank books—with stunning wraparound cover artwork, endpapers, patterned interior pages, and bellybands that transform into collectible bookmarks—are works of art themselves, designed to inspire, collect, and gift to a wide audience.

Five years ago, McSweeney's published Marcel Dzama's "The Berlin Years," bringing Dzama's elegant, enigmatic bears, bats, and sexy ladies to a slumbering nation. The first edition of that book was snapped up in a matter of minutes, and same with a second edition a couple years later. We were thinking about a third printing, but then we thought: instead, why not do it all new and all better?So that's what we've done. The format is similar to the original: an envelope with twenty-eight loose-leaf prints good enough to frame, including a hard-to-describe four-way four-parter (four drawings that fit together to make one really large one. The clever/tricky thing is that any of the four connexts to any of the other, and in any configuration: four-square, a vertical stack, all horizontal, an L, etc. Any Tetris shape.); plus a scrapbook; plus an insert card; plus a oversized fold-out poster. The artwork is entirely new, the scrapbook is new, the envelope has been redesigned - it's a whole new thing, in a beloved familiar shape. Get one for yourself, one for a friend, and three for your unborn, helpless grandchildren - they'll thank you someday.