Bio:

Melissa Ezelle is a fiber artist and printmaker living in Asheville, North Carolina. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Fine Art with a concentration in printmaking and is a current student of Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts program, with a concentration in Fiber. Melissa has received grants and awards from the Maryland State Arts Council, the Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council, the Montgomery County Arts and Humanities Council, and the Leeway Foundation. She is a frequent workshop instructor for Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Hyattsville, MD, and the Morgan Conservatory for Paper in Cleveland, Ohio. Melissa continues to exhibit her works on paper and cloth regionally.

Artist Statement:

As an itinerant laborer of the creative class, I have moved across the country several times seeking work. This frequent migration has enhanced my connection to the physical environment and promoted liberty and growth opportunities. It has enabled me to live unencumbered by abundant material belongings and provided new awareness about community creation.

I have developed a business called Migratory Patterns. Migratory Patterns produces handcrafted travel bags for the modern explorer. Using repurposed materials, natural fibers, and richly embellished designs, Migratory Patterns provides durable yet sustainable goods to equip one’s wanderlust.

My travel bag and journal designs echo the path of the wanderer who travels purposefully. As a traditional printmaker turned fiber artist, patterning and the printed multiple reinforce the idea of movement in my work. Meandering organic motifs, mazes, and migratory lines intertwined with cellulosic material reference a journey through the natural world and the path of self-discovery.