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Artist Statement
I am interested in the historical and cultural commonalities of human experiences and emotions that surround leaving a homeland . I have recently been exploring the inscriptions on Australian convict love tokens. The emotional phrases carved into small copper coins are sent to loved ones. So many people are being displaced in our current world, and I aim to highlight the emotions of yearning and love that can be felt by writing on many of my sculptural works. Melissa creates ceramic sculptures and artworks, often with additions of various materials, such as rusty steel wires, nails and copper. She has studied at TAFE and UNSW Art and Design. She continues to learn and explore different glazing and firing techniques working from her home in Sydney where she lives with her family. Melissa has exhibited in Sydney and Sculpture by the Sea- Bondi. In 2018 she was the winner of the Northbridge art prize, Sculpture division and received a merit award at the National Ceramics Prize, Hazelhurst gallery NSW. PRIZES/EXHIBTIONS AWARDS 2018 – Merit award – 50th National Pottery competition Hazelhurst gallery , Sutherland Shire NSW 2018 – Northbridge Art Prize – Winner of Category (3D, Ceramics, textile, installation) 2017 – Royal Easter Show Art prize winner (glaze category) 2013 – Hunters Hill Harbour Sculpture Exhibition, Stipend winner EXHIBITIONS 2019- Flux- End of Year exhibition Brookvale School of Ceramics. 2019- Gosford Art Prize Exhibtion. 2019 - Group Show at Darling St Gallery, Balmain (including 6 contemporary ceramic artists) 2018 – Northbridge Art Prize – Winner of Category (3D, ceramics, textile, installation) 2017 - Frances Keevil Gallery Double Bay, group show 2017 – Eclectic – Group Show Chatswood Artspace 2017 – Royal Easter Show Art prize winner (for the piece Under the sea - glaze category) 2016 – Brookvale Ceramics group exhibition 2016 – Greenwich Village Art Trail 2015 – Frances Keevil Gallery, Double Bay, Christmas show 2015 - Graduate show UNSW Art and Design 2015 - Three Point Turn group exhibition UNSW Art and Design. 2014 – Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi. 2013 – Hunters Hill Harbour Sculpture Exhibition, Stipend winner 2013 - Greenwich Village Art Trail 2012 – Hornsby Ceramics Graduate Show 2012 - Greenwich Village Art Trail 2011 – Hornsby Ceramics Graduate Show PUBLICATIONS The Journal of Australian Ceramics Vol 58 No 2 July 2019 - Article: "Inspired by 2D to create in 3D" (pg 32-36) EDUCATION 2019 - Diploma of ceramics at Northern Beaches Ceramics,TAFE. 2016 - Master of Art, Majoring in Sculpture, at the UNSW School of Art and Design. 2010-2015 - Certificate III and IV in Ceramics, Sydney Ceramic Studios, Hornsby TAFE |