Melissa Metzler

For the past 25 years, my art practice has encompassed paintings, photographs, ceramic sculptures, mixed media pieces, and drawings. My approach is typically somewhat abstract, informed by intuition, research, and conversations. Where physical space and mythical places were initially reflected in my art making, I now focus on psychological explorations. Making artwork is the best approach I have found for examining the world around me, and myself.

In 2023 I found myself at a turning point, and I was continually forced to deconstruct, reorder, and reframe my approach to living and making art. An ankle break that spring marked the beginning of a cascade of challenging events. Significant time spent in nature and meditative practices got me through several moves, family strife, legal challenges, and more. I reevaluated my closest relationships and reinforced my most meaningful connections.

With this backdrop, a new body of work began taking shape. I began to recognize the importance of looking at myself and my life, and seeing things that are difficult to look at. I started to see myself as an eye witness to my life and the events surrounding me. I embarked on taking frequent self portraits. At first, I obscured parts of my face to represent that I had difficulty sharing and trusting. More and more, though, I found I wanted to be fully seen and heard. At the same time, I began recording many things about my daily life using my cellphone camera. These still images and occasional videos allow me to document and revisit events ranging from the mundane to the incredulous. Combining self portraits with everyday life allowed me to examine and better understand myself, and to process my personal evolution. I recently began a series of paintings about the importance of looking even when it is difficult.

I grew up in Northeastern Wisconsin, and have shown my art throughout the state including Neville Public Museum, Rahr-West Art Museum, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, and the Hardy Gallery. My work has also traveled to art spaces and galleries around the United States, including Minneapolis/St Paul, Chicago, New York, and southern California.

Bodies of work:
Origin of Hope (paintings on paper, 2003-05)
Search (paintings on paper, 2008-10)
Encounters (paintings on paper, 2010-2012)
Portrait of (paintings on paper, 2010-ongoing)
New Realities (photographs, 2010-ongoing)
Collective Memories (mixed media paintings on paper, 2014)
Soar (series of mixed media paintings on paper dedicated to people in my life who have soared to new heights, 2014-ongoing)
Psyche (2019-ongoing)
Me, Myself, and Eye (photographs 2023-ongoing)
Look Even When Difficult (paintings on board 2025-ongoing)
Studies: University of Minnesota Minneapolis (Master’s and Undergraduate degrees); University of Wisconsin (Green Bay)
2025