Mel Jane Wilson is a contemporary artist based on Wadawurring Country in Ballarat, Victoria. Her practice explores encounters between observation, the self and historical artworks.

Since 2013, Wilson has presented solo exhibitions across Melbourne and participated in curated exhibitions nationally. Her work has been recognised through art prize selections, residencies and grant support.

Artist CV
Education
2015 - Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art) Honours, The Victorian College of the Arts, The University of Melbourne

2011 - 2014 - Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting), The Victorian College of the Arts, The University of Melbourne

Research
2024-Present PhD Candidate, Australian Catholic University / Art Gallery of Ballarat Industry PhD

Selected Solo Exhibitions
2023 - Tender Buds, Rubicon Ari, Melbourne

2018 - A Trail of Seams, Assembly Point, Melbourne

2017 - Overlapped Mixings, Mailbox Art Space, Melbourne

2015 - Flux, Seventh Gallery, Melbourne

Selected Group Exhibitions
2025 - Unseen, curator Kate Smith, The Women’s Art Register 50th Anniversery Exhibition, ACU Melbourne Gallery

2024 - Fort Earth, curator Fort Hearth, FortyFive Downstairs, Melbourne

—. Birthday Exhibition, Floating Goose Studios, Adelaide

—. TAR Member Exhibition, Conduit Gallery, The Art Room, Melbourne

2023 - TAR Member Exhibition, Conduit Gallery, The Art Room, Melbourne

—. Eureka Art Prize, Fairbanks Gallery, Ballarat

2022 - Global Period Poverty Forum, Share the Dignity Australia, Brisbane

2021 - Blacktown City Art Prize, The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre, NSW

—. Life in Lockdown | Stages photography through the pandemic (Atrium Space), Monash Gallery of Art

2020 - Random Co-Lab, Unicorn Lane, Ballarat

2019 - Venus Rising, Backspace Gallery, The Art Gallery of Ballarat

—. Efflorescence, curator Brooke Van Der Linden, The Artist Guild, Melbourne

2018 - Build/Rebuild, The Artist Guild, Melbourne

—. Graeme Hildebrand Painting Prize, Red Gallery, Melbourne

2017 - Home Alone: Solitary Pleasures, curator Georgina Downey, Floating Goose Gallery, Adelaide

—. Sublime, Sidewalk, Ripple, Wide Open Road Art, Castlemaine

—. Conversation, curator Petra Nicel, Montsalvat Gallery

2016 - Fresh! Craft Victoria Gallery, Melbourne

—. Tilt, Alderman Upstairs, Melbourne

2015 - Bluestone, The Living Museum of the West, Melbourne

—. ; VCA Student Gallery, Melbourne

—. Scooptnet, VCA Student Gallery, Melbourne

2014 - Artificial World, Space 32, Melbourne

2013 - The Black Square, Alderman Upstairs, Melbourne

—. Mary & Lou Sculpture Show, McClelland Gallery

Awards
2022 Semi-Finalist, Doug Moran National Portrait Prize

2021 Finalist, Blacktown City Art Prize

2017 Finalist, Graeme Hildebrand Art Prize

2016 Finalist, Fresh! Craft Victoria

2013 Finalist, Mary & Lou Senini Sculpture Prize

Residencies
2018 - Ballarat Evolve Studio Residence

Grants
2021 - Haymes Family Foundation Award, Ballarat Arts Foundation

Bibliography
2025 - ACU News, Unseen artworks, and emerging artists to fill gallery walls, 11 July 2025 »

2021 - Aspirations, The Annual Award Winners Magazine, Ballarat Arts Foundation Issue No. 20, Oct 2021

2020 - Edwina Williams, ‘Random pairings produce artwork and friends,’ Times News Group, Jun 28, 2020

—. Podcast, ‘Once Upon a Lockdown’ episode 3: Creative Juices, Jun 3 2020

2019 - Times News Group, ‘Female Artists express their different worlds’, The Ballarat Times, July 3, 2019

—. Michelle Smith, ‘Venus Rising: Four emerging artists at Backspace Gallery’, The Courier, Jun 26, 2019

—. WORA Conversation Series, Wide Open Road Art

2018 - Ashleigh McMillian, ‘Is Ballarat ready for art evolution?’, The Courier, Jul 28

2017 - Georgina Downey, ‘On being home alone’, catalogue essay, Floating Goose Adelaide

2016 - Fresh! Profile & Interview, Craft Victoria Blog

2015 - Precinct 015, VCA School of Art Graduates Catalogue

2014 - Creative Arts, Zine, Melbourne University

2013 - Toby Feily, ‘Melissa Wilson’, Cut, Removed & Exposed, review, Three Thousand, 2013

Collections
Private collections in Australia

Professional Activities
2024 - Anatomy Drawing Workshop Facilitator - ACU Campus, Ballarat

2021 - 2024 - Visual Arts Trainer, Oxygen College

2021 - Art Mentor, Ballarat Arts Foundation

Professional Memberships
Women’s Art Register

The Art Room

NAVA

Regional Arts Victoria

Since July 2024, I have been undertaking an Industry PhD at Australian Catholic University in partnership with the Art Gallery of Ballarat. My research examines watercolours by women artists represented in the Gallery's collection, with a particular focus on recovering overlooked histories of artistic practice and highlighting women's contributions to Australian art.

Drawing on feminist historiography, material culture studies, and archival and collection-based research, the project explores watercolour as a significant artistic medium for women and examines how regional collections can contribute to the rediscovery of underrepresented artistic histories.

As part of this research, I produced a watercolour study of a stained-glass window by Australian artist Christian Waller (1894-1954). The work was exhibited in Unseen, the Women's Art Register 50th Anniversary Exhibition at ACU Melbourne Gallery in 2025 and featured in ACU News as part of its coverage of the exhibition.

In November 2025, I presented the conference paper Christian Waller: Watercolour, Stained Glass, and the Rediscovery of Feminist Histories in Regional Art Collections at the Australian Women's History Network (AWHN) / Lilith Conference at the University of Melbourne.

Profile
I am an educator, curriculum writer and researcher with experience across vocational and higher education settings. My work encompasses visual arts education, curriculum development, assessment design, learning resource development, academic research, and collections-based research involving historical archives and gallery collections.

Teaching Experience
2024. Anatomy Drawing Workshop Facilitator for Allied Health Lecturers and Students, Australian Catholic University, Ballarat.

2021-2024. Visual Arts Trainer & Curriculum Writer, Oxygen College

2021. Art Mentor, Ballarat Arts Foundation

Collections & Archival Experience

2024-Present. Art Gallery of Ballarat (Industry PhD Project)

• Rehousing and preservation of archival documents.

• Research into women artists and historical watercolour collections.

• Comparative analysis of artworks and collection records across multiple gallery collections.

Professional Experience
2024. Administrative Officer, Allied Health Department, Australian Catholic University.

Curriculum Development
2026. Curriculum Development Consultant (Contract), PSC Creative College

• Writing plan development

• Unit analysis

• Evidence mapping

• Compliance review

• Assessment and learning resource planning