Megaptera  (from the Greek mega-/μεγα- "giant" and ptera/πτερα"wing"), refers to the  large back tails of Whales, a species that was present on Earth 30 million years before us and travels 16,000 miles every year, continuously swimming, while making sonic maps of the ocean floor.  Each individual whale fluke (tail) carries specific markings resulting from attacks by predators, fishing gear entanglements, boat collisions and the continuous thrashing through water.

Dumas's work between 2013-2016, after graduating from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Villa Arson in Nice France, consisted of highly intellectual ephemeral installations that tried to sound the alarm about the environmental crisis on our planet. Dumas realized that installing ephemeral installations triggered by an anxiety and responsibility for the planet did not help enough to bring a higher level of consciousness.

After No Safe Harbor (Dumas's first Solo Exhibition in 2016 with the gallery), Dumas operated a 180 degrees shift in her thinking for her second Solo Exhibition, ANGELS, 2018. Dumas's epiphany brought her to see that human thought has the power to create, and that instead of fueling an already bad situation with ideas of collapse, she wanted her work to project strength and hope for the future. She started seeking ways to replace the feeling of fear by the feeling of love, resilience, gratitude and joy.

Dumas discovered Ho'ponopono, the Ancient Hawaiian Practice of Forgiveness to restore balance. She searched for an “icon” image and naturally gravitated to the Humpback Whale who embodies the energy of love and resilience. The Hawaiians call them Koholas, the guardians of sacred energy, and regard them as deities. 

Dumas started working on her "Whale Fluke Paintings" series in New York City from late 2016 to 2018. First, with smaller diptychs of the whale flukes which later evolved to be life-sized. During that period, actual whales were starting to gather in the City's harbor in numbers never seen before. Dumas did not have that knowedge then, and only discovered that fact long time after her exhibition took place. Hence the extraordinary relevance of her work which was created at that time.