Melissa Haiden, Strongest most delicate no7 , Acrylic and charcoal on canvas, 2023

Melissa Haiden graduated from the University of Cape Town in 2009 with an Honours Degree in Theatre and Performance. Her practice is rooted in the exploration of powerful dualities—navigating the shifting space between voyeurism and exhibitionism, contentment and chaos, and the private and the public.

Influenced by her background in physical performance, Haiden works across disciplines, moving between video, live performance, oils, acrylics, and sketching. Regardless of medium, her work is characterised by its emotional charge and the tension between vulnerability and strength.

Strongest Most Delicate No. 7 embodies these themes, with layered acrylic and charcoal textures that hold both fragility and resilience in the same frame.