Melissa Wyman
Born on an intentional community in Tennessee called ‘The Farm’
Rode a tricycle from Chicago to California at 65 mph at the age of 4 (true story) Lives and works in both San Francisco, California and Santiago, Chile.
STATETEMENT:
I started forming my notions of ‘home-as-transition’ at a very early age. From finding ‘home’ in the back seat of a car to finding ‘home’ moving between and within various countries and cities, I grew up identifying more with my experiences than with an established residence. In my previous work with deaf members of the community and women in prison, I was looking at how ideas of home and identity were mapped out by various cultural and linguistic boundaries. In my recent work utilizing close-contact martial arts, I am looking at how vulnerable and awkward moments can provide spaces for recognizing common ground. Through interactive art practices (also called *Social Practice), I am integrating my professional and artistic goals of creating alternative opportunities for cross-cultural exchanges. I am coming to understand ‘home’ as an intentional process of establishing and exercising identity(ies) in response to the constantly shifting ambiguities and ‘awkwardnesses’ of our internal and external worlds.
Contact: melisza_wy@yahoo.com
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