MELISSA ENGLISH CAMPBELL
Location:
Kent, OH, USA
ARTIST BIO
Melissa English Campbel , is an artist whose work bridges the tactile discipline of weaving with the fluid expressiveness of painting. Using portraiture, abstraction and geometry, Melissa creates dynamic compositions that explore the tension between structure and disruption.
She has a B.S. in Environmental Design from the University of California, Davis, and an MFA in Studio Arts from Kent State University.
Her artwork has been exhibited globally, including at the Royal Albert Museum in the UK, Blue Spiral 1 in Asheville North Carolina, at Riffe Gallery in Columbus, Woman Made Gallery in Chicago. She has attended artist residencies at Vermont Studio Center, Bethany Arts Center and Praxis Fiber Workshop. Her work has appeared in journals such as Surface Design Magazine and FiberArt Now and she is a recipient of the Award of Excellence from the Ohio Council for the Arts. Originally from San Francisco, Melissa currently lives in Ohio.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My work blends mediums, intertwining fiber art with painting as metaphors for the ever-changing nature of reality. Through this process, I examine motion as both a disruptor and constructor, with portraits transforming through the weaving process. By combining the structured language of weaving with the freeform nature of painting, I explore how contrasting forces converge to shape identity and perspective.
My practice roots itself in impressionism’s focus on the present moment and surrealism’s exploration of deeper realities. The subjects of my portraits include friends, family, and a fusion of influences—artworks I admire and fleeting impressions of strangers I observe. Through tapestry and painting, I engage with the contemporary realities of resilience, community, and the impact of disruption.
