Meliange is a storyteller, creator and dreamer who grew up in Rotterdam, the Netherlands with roots in Curaçao. With her bachelor's degree in Fashion Design and Arts and Culture Studies, she combines both philosophical and sociological themes in her work with a unique perspective. Her work embraces vulnerability and speaks to her interest in history and healing.
She uses her own embodied experiences to inform her artistic work, attempting to enrich her artistic practice with academic research that addresses generational trauma, the dichotomy of her (Afro) Caribbean roots and Western society, and the representation of women and people. of color in the Western world.
In her most recent (graduation) work Island of Healing (2022) and her graduation thesis on how black female artists in the Netherlands have used their artistic work as resistance since the BLM protests in 2020, she explores the ways art can function as a means of healing and resistance. Through various media such as; crochet work, fashion design, painting, spoken word and poetry, she tries to tell stories, create and dream.
The message is to be VOCAL IN COLOR. The unapologetic presence of minority people in a society. As a woman of color with a righteous and vibrant mind, I oftentimes find myself as a token amongst others. It is the feelings and the experiences that I am familiar with, that I incorporate into my work. Hoping to spark a thought with people who can or cannot relate to my embodied knowledge as a person of color living in a Western society.