Melissa Messer b. 1984 is a color-forward figure painter who describes her work as “if Rothko’s daughter were obsessed with form.” Melissa uses her background in classical painting and contemporary design to grapple with themes of memory and labor in the body. She establishes visual weight and atmosphere by pairing sculptural form with finely tuned color relationships that elicit reaction even before the subject comes into focus. Melissa has participated in numerous gallery and museum shows nationally and her work appears in books and magazines internationally. Her duo show Merry Go Round of Pleasure and Understanding closed March 3, 2024 at Koplin Del Rio gallery in Seattle and she looks forward to a new solo show next spring.