MELATI HEWISON

Melati was born in East Melbourne, Australia in 1974. Her family moved to Scotland in 1985 for two years and she returned to Australia in time to complete her secondary school years at Geelong Grammar School, followed by a BA in Graphic Design at La Trobe University, Bendigo.

In 1996, Melati moved to Melbourne where she started her first graphic design job in a publishing house in Hawthorn. 1997 saw her first solo exhibition, at Cafe Miro in Melbourne city. Over the next four years she had three more solo shows.

Melati moved to Dublin, Ireland in 2001, where she lived for over two years. In Ireland she studied the Irish culture and mythology through visiting many of the ancient sites. She also working at VIP and TV Now Publications in graphic design whilst holding painting workshops and a weekly art class. She returned to Melbourne shortly after the showing of her fifth solo show, the Irish Goddesses.

 

Since 1997 Melati has travelled regularly to Bali, Indonesia learning their culture from the Balinese Royal family. She spent a period of 4 months, then 6 months (2007-8) in artist residency in Bona villlage, Gianyar, Bali, where she immersed herself in the Balinese culture, whilst living with a local family. This experience has given her art more depth and feeling which can be seen in her paintings.

In 2009 one of her portrait paintings (Mandala of Life) was shown in the Portia Geach Memorial Award exhibition. The same year she began to explore the Australian land and Aboriginal culture in Northern Territory and Victoria. This introduction became her tenth show titled Australian Landscape.

In 2010 Melati lived in artist residency in St Erme, France at PAF (Performing Arts Forum). This experience was a great opportunity to explore her art, get back to basics and converse with artists from around the world.

She is currently living in a small village in Gianyar, Bali with her husband and daughter. She continues to freelance in Graphic Design and paint.