Melissa Stannard
Yuwallaraay artist, poet, jeweller, researcher and curator.
A narrative, multi disciplinary artist, constant gatherer, collector of the lost and found, storytelling is an important part of Melissa’s cultural heritage as a Yuwaalaraay, Gamillaraay and Koama woman and a way to express, share, and bring awareness to issues that confront difficult subject matter. Melissa’s aim is to find poetic healing for herself and the community’s lived experience, through engagement with themes of identity, belonging, memory, collective trauma, abuse, and ultimately, survival. Melissa is often immersed in nature as it helps balance out the tough topics she works on, and explores the cultural practise of Winangali, deep listening.
A graduate of CAIA- Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art at Griffith University, where she is a research assistant within the IRU-Indigenous Research Unit, a Kungullanji Scholar and current mentor. Melissa’s love of learning means she aims to return to university to undergo her Masters in the near future.