Melissa Walter combines metalsmithing and papermaking to create works to adorn the body. Melissa is originally from Concord, North Carolina. She holds a BFA in Metal Design from East Carolina University and a MFA in Jewelry and Metals from the University of Georgia.
Her current work investigates physical space, the distance or closeness between people, and emotional space, the intimate connection between people. Melissa’s current body of work gives form to this invisible arena of interaction, communication and possible discomfort. When worn, her forms project off the body, causing a physical barrier and awkward interaction between the wearer and viewer. The physical distance is contrasted with colorful crocheted sections and moving elements that are amusing, intriguing, and invite the viewer closer to the piece. The scale of the work and placement on the body is meant to push away, while the colorful crocheted forms and whimsical movement are meant to invite closeness, creating another layer of tension similar to the unseen space within human interaction.
During her time at HCCC, Melissa plans to continue to investigate and discover new ways to make visible the invisible space of human interaction. Her work has been recently exhibited in Jewelry + Objects, in Midland, Michigan; Ohio Designer Craftsman: The Best of 2011, 20_3_20, an invitational, traveling ring exhibition; and Handcrafted: A Juried Exhibition of Ceramics. Fibers. Glass. Metal. Wood., in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Melissa will be with HCCC through August of 2012. To see more of her work, visit https://www.melissakwalter.com/.
