M.E.L.
I am a multidisciplinary visual artist known for provocative installations and mixed-media work that confront societal taboos surrounding sex work, intimacy, and value. With almost two decades of experience in the sex industry, I transform found materials into powerful narratives in an attempt to humanise and destigmatise sex work.
Drawing from a Fine Arts background shaped in Vancouver’s dynamic and robust art scene combined with a degree in Creative Technologies from a big box university in the States, I move fluidly between traditional and digital media — often combining the two. My work blends autobiographical storytelling with critical exploration, inviting viewers to reconsider their assumptions about intimacy, labor, and human connection.
I try to position myself at the intersection of art, sexuality, and advocacy while continuously challenging and expanding dialogues on authenticity and acceptance. In a space where taboo meets tenderness, you'll find me standing — insistently normal, unabashedly honest, and unforgettably human.
Artistic Practice
I create art using artifacts collected from a life lived in the shadows of your assumptions. Drawing on 15+ years as a sex worker, my practice transforms overlooked materials into pieces and installations that speak truths most prefer to ignore. Each object I re-purpose carries a piece of a story: a transaction of intimacy, a moment of vulnerability, a glimpse of humanity. By elevating these remnants into the gallery space, I am asking viewers to confront the beauty and reality in a group of people society labels disposable, illicit, and deviant.
I employ whatever medium best serves the idea — whether it’s digital collage, photography, acrylic transfer, or unconventional materials like semen. This process allows me to reclaim my experiences on my own terms, disrupting societal narratives that seek to define or diminish them. The visual patterns and textures of my collected materials resist erasure, demanding recognition in spaces that instinctively reject them. The context I provide re-frames them as symbols of humanity, intimacy, and the overlooked value within ordinary experiences — reminding viewers that these banal objects tell a larger human story about desire, labor, and identity.
Through my work, I strive to humanise those of us who have long been othered. I invite you into a dialogue – to look beyond sensationalism and see the individuals: Artists, Adventurers, Whirlwinds, Mothers, Caretakers, Friends, Heroes, and most importantly Humans behind the job. In bridging my worlds, I stand both as narrator and living subject. I aim to incite curiosity and empathy, leaving you with more questions than answers. My goal is to challenge your assumptions about intimacy, power, the true value of time, and the definition of work.
Looking to indulge in custom work? Commissions are currently open. Pricing is tailored to scale, medium, and the specific needs of each piece. Please email me to get started.
Selected Work & Recognition
Exhibitions & Installations
- Group Exhibition (2025)
- Solo Exhibition (2018)
- Group Exhibition (2015)
- Installation – Mixed Media (2014)
Features & Publications
- Cover Feature — Gallery Magazine (2014)
- Local Art Journal — Summer Issue (2014)
- Local Art Journal — Fall Issue (2013)