Email: melanie@billark.com | Website: www.melaniebillark.com | Instagram + TikTok: @melanie.billark
Biography:
Melanie Billark is an emerging, multi-disciplinary, Toronto based artist. Her body of work surrounds themes of
social and political issues that effect and surround principals of ecology. Her work strives to create awareness to
various environmental issues within the public sphere.
Melanie obtained an advanced Diploma in Crafts and Design from Sheridan College in 2011 in Oakville, ON, and her
BFA in Sculpture and Installation from OCADU in 2016 in Toronto, ON. She has exhibited her work across the GTA and
the USA. Melanie has won a number of awards for her work including the Climate Arts Award in 2019 and The OALA
Ground Award in 2017.
Artist Statement:
I often question our impact and relationship with the natural environment and convey these contemplations through sculpture, site-specific installations, and performance based work. My practice sheds light on social and political issues that affect and surround principles of ecology. Within my work I attempt to bring awareness to ecological issues by bringing them into the public sphere. I often create works that activates public spaces, encourages public engagement, while conveying a message of hope and re-wilding.
What I Plan to do During my Studio H Artist Residency:
Throughout my time in British Columbia, I plan on doing day trips to various locations on and near Vancouver Island. At each site I will be creating installations, and earth art along the way while safely gathering natural and found objects. The items that I find and collect will be the materials that I use to experiment with, analyze, categorize, clean, sort, and create physical work such as sculptures, installations, and site specific interventions out of. Learning about the ocean and shoreline, micro-plastics, local species, fauna, soil samples, and relationship between land and community. This project is really about reconnecting with nature, learning about this special ecosystem and creating art from what I find on the land!
During my residency I plan on documenting my journey, discoveries and creations on social media, where you can follow along!
