Melissa Barber is an independent artist based in the Central West town of Canowindra, New South Wales, Australia.
Her work is predominantly exhibited at her studio in Canowindra, occasionally with other commercial galleries with whom she collaborates and from popup exhibitions that she organises. It can also be arranged by appointment for work to be brought to you for viewing. All available work can be seen on this website.
When visiting the studio enjoy tea and cake on the verandah whilst discussing life and art.
She opened her first gallery in Canowindra in 1999 which established a strong independent approach in bringing an audience to her work. She has mainly exhibited through her own galleries in the past, and participated in numerous external exhibitions.
Her paintings are in private collections throughout Australia, France, England, Ireland, the United States, Canada, Malaysia, China, and New Zealand.
International couriering can be easily arranged for overseas clients. Pack and Send is the preferred courier for local and international couriering requirements.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
"My work combines stylised abstraction with the readily identifiable. Deeply influenced by Japanese and Chinese art for their use of negative space versus detail, flat colour and strong use of golds and silvers, my paintings reflect an aesthetically decorative, yet spiritually meditative response to nature.
Composition is governed by the balance of concentrated fine brush work and impasto relief with vast expanses of negative space that implies close referencing to the principles of the ancient Japanese art of flower arranging. A concentration of foliage detail maybe balanced by a rogue sprig that pushes into the negative space within a painting. In the Roses and Poppies series each flower is positioned in relativity to the next, appearing random but whose position is carefully decided.
The linear style of monochromatic painting on panels of glistening golds and silvers also reflects the two dimensional character of Japanese Screen paintings and woodblock prints. Flowers, trees, peacock feathers are all reduced to their basic forms, yet are easily identifiable; the head of a flower, the cluster of foliage on a tree and the eye of a peacock feather all take on a jewel like appearance glistening against shimmering metallic backgrounds.
I paint in series format, working on several at the same time. It is apparent that each series influences the next, and earlier series are reborn in later ones."
EXHIBITIONS AT EXTERNAL GALLERIES
2017 Finalist Calleen Art Award
2016 Pop Up Show at the former Melissa Barber Galleries building Canowindra
2016 The Cicada and the Plum Solo exhibition at The Corner Store Gallery Orange
2015 Finalist Central West Regional Art Award
2014 Finalist Central West Regional Art Award
2013 Finalist Central West Regional Art Award
2012 Exhibition at Grenfell Gallery, Grenfell
2011 Reopening of The Melissa Barber Galleries, Canowindra
Art Melbourne with Gallery Oscar, Sydney
Exhibition with The Melissa Barber Galleries at Finn’s Store, Canowindra
2010 Rolf Harris and Melissa Barber with Aarwun Gallery, Canberra
Art Sydney with Gallery Oscar, Sydney
Les Derniers Coquelicots and The Spirit of Place with Jayes Gallery, Molong
Exhibited with Art of Orange, Orange
Group Exhibition 2011 with Gallery Oscar, Sydney
Art Melbourne with Gallery Oscar, Sydney
2009 Art Sydney with Gallery Oscar, Sydney
Art Melbourne with Gallery Oscar, Sydney
Glisten Solo with Gallery Oscar
Kinross Wollaroi School Art Fair, Orange
2008 Ted Lewis, Amanda McLean, Melissa Barber and David Bromley with Aarwun Gallery, Canberra
Exhibited with McGee’s Gallery, Mornington
2007 Spring Exhibition with Aarwun Gallery, Canberra
2006 Exhibited with Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Sydney
2005 The Magic Hill Exhibition Solo at Ravenswood School for Girls, Sydney
Exhibited with Artistry Galleries, Melbourne
Exhibited with Corporate Art, the Gold Coast
2004 Dickerson, Boyd and Barber with Aarwun Gallery, Canberra
Art Sydney with Aarwun Gallery, Canberra
2003 Exhibited at the Leftbank Gallery, Canowindra
Relaunches her own gallery as The Melissa Barber Galleries – featuring her own work
1999 Establishes her own gallery and cafe - Gallery Koolabah Cafe, Canowindra – featuring her own work
1994 Exhibited Ada’s Place, Millthorpe
Exhibits Zonta Club of Orange Art Exhibition