The art of Lia Melia is quite unlike anything else available. Her technique, which involves mixing paints and pigments baked onto a sheet of aluminium (or occasionally glass) is uniquely her’s and, she says, will go with her to the grave. It was discovered, at first, by accident and has been perfected through years of experimentation and endeavour and now enables her to achieve a richness of colour and translucent quality not readily attainable through more traditional media.
She was a personal student of the renowned Romanian Artist and Set Designer Mircea Marosin who impressed upon her the view that “no matter how technically good an artist is, if they do not paint from the heart and soul, they say nothing”. This is always evident in her work.
She has a particular interest in mythology and poetry, especially Yeats and these frequently provide inspiration for her works.
She is a former Saatchi Showdown winner and exhibited at the Florence Biennale 2003