Melissa Haiden, Starting afresh , Acrylic and charcoal on canvas, 2025

Melissa Haiden graduated from the University of Cape Town in 2009 with an Honours Degree in Theatre and Performance. Her work is grounded in the exploration of compelling dualities—sliding between voyeurism and exhibitionism, contentment and chaos, and the boundaries of the private and public self.

With a background in physical performance, Haiden approaches her practice through an interdisciplinary lens, working across video, live performance, oils, acrylics, and sketching. Her art captures the physical and emotional tension of human experience, often translating movement and gesture into layered, tactile surfaces.

Starting Afresh reflects this sensibility, its interplay of acrylic and charcoal conveying both the fragility and resolve inherent in moments of renewal.