Marcel Alcalá received their BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. They have held solo exhibitions at Night Gallery, Mickey Gallery, and Deli Gallery and exhibited in numerous institutions, including the Tom of Finland Foundation (where they were artist-in-residence) and MCA Chicago. Their work was recently featured in Made in L.A. 2023: Acts of Living, Hammer Museum and Moved–Displaced, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art. Alcalá is also a performer and writer. Assuming a derisive alter ego named Payasa (the feminine form of the Spanish word for clown), their performance work often tackles topics that feel otherwise taboo—specifically, the artist’s thoughts about race and gender politics and their personal experiences with these constructs.