Mark Engel grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and received his MFA from San Jose State University. The artist is known for his colourful and highly expressive paintings that center around the figure, varying between psychological portraiture and full immersive environments that express profound aspects of the human experience.

His interest in the human motif is rooted in early personal mystical experiences that had a profound impact on his perception of life and understanding of self. This sparked his research into personal transformation through analytical psychology, Taoism, alchemy, and mysticism.

Engel's work has been shown in numerous museums and galleries across the US and is part of numerous public and private collections.