About Melissa Ritchie.
Melissa Ritchie is an Australian based visual artist, who is well known for her unique portraits.
Most recently, Melissa Ritchie has established herself as a painter of comedians, having painted Rhys Nicholson, Nazeem Hussain, Urzila Carlson, Luke McGregor, Fiona O'Loughlin, Akmal Saleh, Susie Youssef, Matt Okine, Arj Barker plus a number of other stand up comedians. Melissa is also known for her realist style still life paintings featuring a colourful array of everyday objects. ARTIST STATEMENT 
Predominately an oil painter, Melissa Ritchie has been a finalist in many of Australia's art prizes including the Archibald Prize, Portia Geach Memorial Award, Kilgour Prize, Shirley Hannan Portrait Prize, Lester Prize (formerly Black Swan), Brisbane Portrait Prize and the Percival Portrait Prize.
Melissa Ritchie has also been a featured artist on the international TV series "Colour in Your Life", giving her a world wide fan base. Born in Georgia, USA, Melissa grew up in Australia and paints from her Illawarra based studio on the NSW South Coast. Melissa is a member of the Illawarra Association for the Visual Arts (IAVA), an organisation that supports and promotes contemporary visual artists from the Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Wingecarribee regions. Melissa has been activivley involved on the IAVA Committee, since joining the organisation in 2014, acting as current President since 2020 and 2016. Melissa's artwork is available to purchase via BlueThumb Online or by contacting Melissa. |
ARTIST'S CV
2025 Crossing Paths - The White Cottage Gallery, Retford Park, Bowral NSW International Women’s Day Exhibition, Wollongong NSW Art in Unexpected Places - Shellharbour City, NSW 2024 The Island & the Bridge - Illustrated Book Publication Tim Copes Portrait Prize, Bowral Art Gallery, Bowral NSW Art Sur Papier, Tiliqua Tiliqua Gallery, Enmore NSW The Agency Still Life Art Prize, Bowral Art Gallery, Bowral NSW International Women’s Day Exhibition, Wollongong NSW RESOLVE - IAVA Group exhibition, The Corner Gallery, Stanmore, NSW Small Works Art Prize, Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, VIC 2023 BlueThumb Art Prize, online exhibition Passage of Time - IAVA Group exhibition, Clifton School of Arts, NSW The Agency Still Life Prize - Bowral Art Gallery, Bowral NSW Affordable Art Fair Sydney, Randwick Racecourse, NSW Thirroul Seaside Arts Festival, Thirroul NSW Nosila Portrait Prize, Wollongong NSW Reach - IAVA Group exhibition, Gallery Lane Cove, NSW International Women's Day Exhibition, Wollongong NSW Still Life Painting Prize, Project Contemporary Art Space, Wollongong NSW Small Works Art Prize, Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, VIC NEAP ACB Selects Exhibition, Michael Reid Online 2022 NEAP ACB Selects Exhibition, Michael Reid Online Travelling On, Clifton School of Arts, Clifton NSW Brisbane Portrait Prize, Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane, QLD BlueThumb Art Prize, online exhibition Copes Family Portrait Prize, Bowral Art Gallery, Bowral NSW National Capital Art Prize - Open selection, Canberra ACT DIVERGENCE Exhibition (IAVA) - m2 Gallery, Surry Hills NSW The Agency Still Life Prize - Bowral Art Gallery, Bowral NSW SPLASH! Gap Exhibition (IAVA) - Old Firestation Gallery, Kiama NSW Expander STILL LIFE, Stala Contemporary, Perth WA Percival Portrait Painting Prize, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville QLD Postcodes from the Edge, Wollongong City Gallery, Wollongong NSW International Women's Day Exhibition, Wollongong NSW 2021 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize (Semi Finalist) TEN - IAVA anniversary exhibition, Clifton School of the Arts, Clifton NSW BlueThumb Art Prize, online exhibition Lethbridge 20000 Small Scale Art Award, Lethbridge Gallery, Paddington QLD 2020 Uralla Gallery Collection, Uralla Gallery, Uralla, NSW Collectors Choice Exhibition, Artsite Gallery, Camperdown, NSW Summer Vibe Group Exhibition, The Space Gallery, Rosebery, NSW BlueThumb Art Prize, online exhibtion. Fisher's Ghost Art Award, Campbelltown Art Centre, Campbelltown, NSW Calleen Art Award, Cowra Regional Art Gallery, Cowra NSW John Copes Portrait Prize, Bowral Art Gallery, Bowral NSW Kilgour Prize, Newcastle Art Gallery, Newcastle NSW Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award, Bega Valley Art Gallery, Bega NSW Lethbridge 20000 Small Scale Art Award, Lethbridge Gallery, Paddington QLD Percival Portrait Painting Prize, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville QLD 2019 Solo Exhibition, Little Blowhole Art Bar, Kiama NSW Brisbane Portrait Prize, Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane, QLD Out of the Illawarra 2019, A collection of Contemporary Art, Fountain Court Gallery, Parliament House, Sydney NSW Kilgour Prize, Newcastle Art Gallery, Newcastle NSW Small Works Art Prize - Brunswick Art Gallery, Fitzroy, VIC Pirtek Still Life Award, Bowral Art Gallery, Bowral NSW SBS Portrait Prize, Mornington, VIC Strong Women, Art Bar, Kiama NSW Illawarra Locals, Artsite Gallery, Camperdown NSW Locals on Board, Wollongong Art Gallery, Wollongong NSW 2018 Eutick Memorial Still Life Award (EMSLA), Wollongong NSW Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award, Bega Valley Art Gallery, Bega NSW John Copes Portrait Prize, Bowral Art Gallery, Bowral NSW Kangaroo Valley Art Prize, Arts in the Valley, Kangaroo Valley, NSW Kennedy Art Prize, Royal South Australia Society of Arts, Adelaide, SA Timber Mill Bats for Will, Timber Mill Studios, Bulli, NSW IAVA NOW, Wollongong Art Gallery NSW Strong Women Exhibition, Art Bar, Kiama NSW 2017 Portia Geach Memorial Award, Sydney NSW Out of the Illawarra 2017, A collection of Contemporary Art, Fountain Court Gallery, Parliament House, Sydney NSW Feast, An IAVA group exhibition, Belconnen, ACT 2016 Archibald Prize, Sydney NSW Postcodes from the Edge Exhibition- Wollongong City Gallery, Wollongong NSW Belonging - An exhibition of Contemporary Art, Wollongong NSW Pirtek Still Life Award, Bowral NSW Percival Portrait Painting Prize, Townsville QLD City of Ryde, Women's Art Prize, Meadowbank NSW Mardi Gras Regional Art Prize, Kiama NSW Thirroul Seaside Arts Festival, Thirroul NSW 2015 Kilgour Art Prize, Newcastle NSW Portia Geach Memorial Award, Sydney NSW 50::50 An IAVA Showcase - Project Contemporary Artspace, Wollongong NSW Scarborough Art Show, Scarborough NSW Out of the Illawarra, A collection of Contemporary Art, Fountain Court Gallery, Parliament House, Sydney NSW Underpinning - The Hanging Space gallery, Woonona NSW Exhibition 10 - Matthew Gillett Gallery, Scarborough NSW 2014 Transmissions - An IAVA Showcase - Project Artspace, Wollongong NSW Black Swan Prize for Portraiture - St Georges Terrace, Perth WA James Kiwi Watercolour Prize - Wollongong City Gallery, Wollongong NSW Contemporary Watercolour Prize - Wollongong City Gallery, Wollongong NSW Flanagan Art Prize, Ballarat VIC Sunshine Coast Art Prize, Caloundra QLD Shirley Hannan National Portrait Prize, Bega NSW Thirroul Seaside Arts Festival, Thirroul NSW Postcodes from the Edge Exhibition- Wollongong City Gallery, Wollongong NSW IAVA New Member Exhibition - The Hanging Space gallery, Woonona NSW 2013 Popsters. A Collection of Pop Art Portraiture (Solo) - Art Arena, Wollongong NSW RAW Translations - Wollongong Town Hall Live Sites in the City - Wollongong Central, Wollongong NSW RAS Art Show - Sydney Olympic Park, NSW International Woman's Day Exhibition - Art Arena, Wollongong NSW 2012 RAS Art Show, Sydney Olympic Park NSW Port Stephens Art Prize, Nelson Bay NSW Awards 2022 > Postcodes from the Edge - Second Prize Winner 2019 > Pirtek Still Life Prize - Highly Commended 2019 > SBS Portrait Prize - Highly Commended 2018 > John Copes Portrait Prize - Highly Commended 2016 > Postcodes from the Edge - First Prize Winner 2014 > International Women's Day - Creative Spirit Award Winner 2013 > RAS Art Prize - Highly Commended Collections Wollongong Art Gallery Corn Mill Gallery Private Collections (National and International) |