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© Melissa Joseph

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Melissa Joseph

Artist Statement

Much of the work acts as a portrait of my ancestors. As a first-generation American, my introduction to and understanding of family histories were largely anecdotal. Since my father passed away, they are entirely so. Working with this imagery provides ways for me to revisit and recreate these stories. They are the mythical spaces and people who inhabit all of my formative memory, akin to the fairy tales and biblical stories that I learned and internalized at the same time. But unlike the other two, these family histories are anchored in a specific space and time.

© Melissa Joseph

Melissa Joseph's Portfolio

© Melissa Joseph

Artist Biography

Melissa Joseph is interested in connecting people through shared memories and experiences. Her work addresses themes of memory, family history, and the politics of how we occupy both physical and emotional spaces. Her practice is rooted in exercises of empathy and understanding. Melissa’s work has been shown at the Delaware Contemporary, Woodmere Art Museum, the PAFA Museum, The Growlery, Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Rider University and featured in New American Paintings, and Friend of the Artist. She is currently an artist in residence at the Textile Arts Center and a Media Fellow at BRIC.

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© Melissa Joseph

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