Help Melanie put on her dream exhibition!

Hi, my name is Melanie, I am an emerging artist based in Bendigo/Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. I have been working as an artist part-time since 2020 and I have recently been given an incredible opportunity to exhibit some work at a prestigious gallery in Melbourne in 2024.

My art focuses on many different ideas but mainly explores themes of identity by using vivid colours across a range of mediums, such as painting, printmaking and embroidery. I am inspired by 'retro' science fiction aesthetics, as well as artists such as Maria Lassnig, Mirka Mora and Frida Kahlo.

My more recent work includes a series of embroidered dolls, which individually take me months to complete, and so I'm very much looking forward to sharing all my hard work with a wider community.

This is an amazing opportunity for an emerging artist such as myself and I really want to make the most of it. I am seeking some funds to help me cover the exhibition costs, such as framing, artwork insurance, space hire and material costs.

I am hoping that this exhibition will give me some more publicity to make more of a living from my artwork, as I would love to be an artist full-time and receive more commissioned work. I am also hoping to form a wider outreach in order to explore universal ideas, and to resonate with a wider community of creatives.

If you would like to see examples of my work before donating, please feel free to check out my instagram @melaniethorenartist to see whether you would like to contribute. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me there- I am an open book and will answer all questions.