works by Melissa Dadourian

On view November 11 - December 8

I make wall pieces, sculptures, uniforms and installations. The fiber and material structures I create are knit and dyed fabric abstractions. These wall collages maintain a passive-aggressive quality, where they dominate a space while equally revealing inconspicuous moments. Intrigued, at an early age, by the obsessive aspect of craft and "handiwork" I began by weaving potholders, making dollhouse furniture out of discarded household objects, and beds for tiny porcelain animals. Growing up in the 70's during the craft movement I was completely charmed by the act of crafting and I created a plethora of self-defined functional items. This skill and fascination lead me to study the history of women's work and domesticity.

Reinterpreting abstract painting and countering a once male-dominated art form is this work’s intrinsic relevance. Studying the history of, and personally living within, the female condition is what empowers this work. The ephemeral quality of thread and fiber, the balance of form to color, the strength to expose or disappear, heightens the tension of these relationships.

Melissa Dadourian is a Brooklyn based artist working in textile media, painting and sculpture. She received a BFA from Pratt Institute and an MFA in Combined Media and Painting from Hunter College. Dadourian has exhibited internationally and in New York. Recently Dadourian presented work at the University of Buffalo as well as Transmitter Gallery, the Textile Arts Center and Chashama in Brooklyn. Residencies include Vermont Studio Center, MASS MoCA, The Textile Arts Center, the American Academy in Rome and the Citè Internationale des Artes in Paris.

For inquiries and sales, please contact

Hilary Nelson, Gallery Curator at TIMESCLUBGALLERY@PRAIRIELIGHTS.COM