Mel Jane Wilson is a contemporary artist whose practice includes the transcription and transformation of historical imagery, reimagining archival forms into quiet acts of emotional and conceptual rebellion. Guided by both feeling and observation, her work invites introspection and challenges perception through layered symbolism and subtle force.

Based on Wadawurrung Country in Ballarat, VIC, Australia, Wilson is also a PhD candidate at Australian Catholic University (ACU). Her research focuses on watercolours by women artists working with the Art Gallery of Ballarat, with the privilege of documenting their unique contributions to the medium.

Wilson’s art has been presented in solo exhibitions at artist-run initiatives across Melbourne since 2013 and featured in numerous curated group exhibitions nationwide. Her practice has been nationally recognised as a semi-finalist in major art prizes and supported through residencies and grants that continue to shape her evolving practice.

Education

2024 to Present - PhD Candidate, ACU-Art Gallery of Ballarat Arts Industry PhD

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

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 a three-year Industry PhD at Australian Catholic University, working with the Art Gallery of Ballarat. My research focuses on the work of women artists in their watercolour collection. A recent achievement, as part of my research project, was completing a watercolour on paper that studied a stained-glass window by renowned 20th-century artist Christian Waller (1894-1954). This work was featured in the 50th Anniversary of the Women’s Art Register (W.A.R) exhibition Unseen at ACU Melbourne Gallery (2025). It was also featured on ACU News on 11 July (2025), which highlighted my contribution to the exhibition, celebrating a collection of unseen artworks by women artists.

As part of my ongoing research on Christian Waller, I presented at the AWHN/Lilith Conference on 24-25 November, University of Melbourne (2025). The title of my paper "Christian Waller - Watercolour, Stained Glass, and the Rediscovery of Feminist Histories in Regional Art Collections.”

Education

• 2024 to Present. PhD candidate, ACU-Art Gallery of Ballarat Arts Industry PhD.

• 2015. Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Arts) 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.

Conferences

• 2025. “Christian Waller: Watercolour, Stained Glass, and the Rediscovery of Feminist Histories in Regional Art Collections.” Paper presented at the AWHN/Lilith Conference - Nurturing Feminist Histories in Precarious Times: Founding Stories, Forging Communities, Feminist Futures, 24-25 November, University of Melbourne.

Teaching Experience

• 2024. Anatomy Drawing Workshop Facilitator - ACU Campus, Ballarat.

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

• 2021. Art Mentor, Ballarat Arts Foundation.

Professional Memberships

• Australian Women’s History Network (AWHN).

• The Women’s Art Register.