Jacky Winter is pleased to present Vieni Qua! – new works by Melissa Grisancich.

‘Vieni Qua’ a simple and effective Italian phrase meaning ‘come here’, rang with urgency throughout the lively childhood home of artist Melissa Grisancich. Whether you were in trouble or being called to the table the tone was the same. Here it boldly echoes her past into the present inviting you into the memory of the vivid, multifaceted, culturally and nostalgically rich home that has moulded her into the artist she is today.

This show holds us in that nostalgic space, whereby we are exploring a carefully curated archive of Melissa’s upbringing, her heritage, and the woven together fabric of the many disciplines that make up her artistic practice. Looking around ever clear is her interest in colourful vibrant graphic patterns found in vintage books, fabric, and record covers all of which have influenced the imagery in her work.

Here she has built a home out of found objects, mementos, ceramic sculpture, hand built furniture that she had designed. Artworks include a punch needle rug, slip cast ceramics, vibrant paintings, digital quilts, and terrazzo – a throwback to her Italians roots.

Having family in Rome, Milano and Trieste the Grisanciches would receive handmade crafts, Pinocchio memorabilia, and Italian translated Snoopy cards from their loved ones regularly, playfully bridging the distance between her parents birthplace and the foundations they built in Australia. Through this Melissa was Introduced by her mother Anna, to the joyful and humorous Snoopy. Forging an everlasting love for stories of Snoopy and his friends The Peanuts. Snoopy and the iconic Pinocchio feature throughout this show as a tribute to her childhood, honouring her child like wonder and early connection to her families heritage.

Melissa’s artist journey is ever evolving in its subject matter though what remains consistent and what this show imbues is her passion for bright happy colours, nostalgia of her childhood, her Italian heritage, sense of humour, and a drive to, with open arms and open mind, share in the joy of these with others.

Melissa Grisancich wasborn in 1987 and grew up in a small beach town called Mount Martha in the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria- Australia. Now based in Melbourne where she currently lives and works as a multidisciplinary artist. Her main focus is painting and applies this into sculpture, repurposing vintage objects and forms of craft and tapestry. Melissa is known for her bright and bold style that reflects her influences of 60’s and 70’s record covers, her Italian heritage, object collecting, renaissance and romanticism, vintage posters, ephemera, comics and cartoons. Melissa has shown her works throughout Australia, Europe, Japan and the USA.