ARTIST STATEMENT

Melissa "Mesa" Matarese is a multimedia artist devoted to truly living this single, wild, precious life. In this fast-paced, tech-driven, productivity-focused culture, she has chosen a different path, that of *the dreamer, the artist, the sacred fool.* Her curiosity drives her to explore many mediums and corners of the world, but Bucks County, PA, is where she calls home. There, she resides in Minimus, her hand-built, off-grid tiny house on wheels and creates out of a renovated barn studio.
Art has been Mesa’s peace and refuge since childhood. It is how she relates to and makes sense of the world. Her creative process is spontaneously and playful, allowing divine creative spirit to lead the way. Her visual language has an organic, dream-like quality that reflects reoccurring themes of freedom, wildlife, and natural patterns.

Mesa earned her BFA from Kutztown University and the University of Waikato in New Zealand. But perhaps more importantly she continues to gain her informal education by observing nature and giving herself permission to make extraordinary messes and fascinating mistakes.

Equal to Mesa’s passion for creating art is her passion for encouraging others to explore their own relationship with creativity. It is one of her greatest joys and deepest pleasures to support others to see more awe & wondering in the world and to authentically express it.