ALWAYS EVOLVING: Collage artist Marcus Dawson pieces together joy and wonder

Marcus Dawson is a North Carolina collage artist whose mission is to spread joy and light through hand cut analog collages. He has a deep love for found papers and photographs that enables him to puzzle pieces together to tell a story through art. 

His storytelling through his artistic practice often incorporates images of people of color among whimsical landscapes dotted with vibrant flowers, rolling hills, and the heavens above. “I honestly want people to be immersed in the art and for the brief moment that they are looking at a piece they can escape into a place of joy and wonder,” Marcus says.

Marcus determines which colors and landscapes inspire him and gauges what story he’s trying to tell through the art. Once he is satisfied with the arrangement, he starts to glue the images down. Often,times the arrangement will change slightly when he glues. That is the brilliance of collage is that: it’s always evolving.

“My artistic practice honesty changes from piece to piece,” Marcus shares. “I am inspired by so many things. I may hear a song that inspires me to create, or a poem or a conversation with a dear friend. Once that spark of inspiration happens, I sit with a piece of watercolor paper, my scissors, glue, and a stack of magazines and paper clippings and get to work. I often do what I call a sketch before I glue anything down.”

Born and raised in Wilmington.and an alumni of UNCW, this town will always be home for him. 

“I like to say that I am a late bloomer when it comes to art,” he says. “I’ve always had a deep passion for the arts but did not know where I belonged in the art world. I felt that because I wasn’t proficient in painting or drawing, I didn’t belong. That is until I discovered collage art.”

He started exploring collage in the midst of the pandemic when he was working from home full time. Like many of us during this time, he was feeling burned out: “I was overwhelmed with my job, life, and the state of the world. One day during my lunch break, I went to the thrift store and started browsing through the book section. I found so many inspiring books with images that spoke to me.”

He went home that day and started to collage his blues away. He created some of the brightest and most joyful art pieces. Creating brought back joy back that he had been missing for some time.

Marcus is taking commissions, so don’t sleep on the opportunity to own some of his beautiful and special artwork. He’s been doing plenty of commission work as of late and partnering with companies to distribute his art in various forms. He’s excited for upcoming projects rolling out later this year.

His goals are to keep growing as an artist. “I want to mark my own path in the art world in my own unique way,” he says. “I would love to see my art in museums, publications, album covers, and book covers. I would like my art to be in the fabric of our culture.”

You can view and purchase his work on his website www.marcusdspeaksart.com or on Instagram at @marcusdspeaks. 

This article appeared in our Spring 2026 Volume 2 print issue.