Melissa Ellen

Melissa Ellen is a self-taught mixed-media artist based in Nashville, TN. Her work merges collective memory with modern perspectives, using layered materials like magazine clippings and vintage book pages to reimagine familiar images. Through her intricate compositions, Melissa invites viewers to explore the connections between history and today, offering nostalgia with a contemporary twist. In her twenties, Melissa specialized in print design before founding and running a successful magazine and online marketplace for the lifting and construction industry. After the premature birth of her fourth child, she chose to sell her business and dedicate her time to family. A move to North Carolina in 2020 reignited her passion for art, where she began exploring themes of transformation, memory, and identity through her unique collage-based style. Now back in Nashville since 2022, Melissa continues her creative journey while balancing life with her husband and four children. Her work reflects an enduring curiosity about the connections between the past and present, bringing depth and storytelling to each piece.