A Bit About
Melanie...
Melanie Barest is a fine artist based in New York whose synesthesia makes creation an instinctive act. For her, color, movement, and form are inseparable, and she sees each material as carrying an innate rhythm and story waiting to be uncovered. Rather than imposing on her mediums, she collaborates with them, listening for what they want to become and allowing their transformation to unfold.
Dedicated to what she calls “languages of creativity,” Melanie views all art forms as modes of communication. Her multidisciplinary background reflects this belief: she has worked in interior design, photography, and editorial makeup artistry, and holds a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Northeastern University (2024). Since graduating, she has devoted herself fully to her fine art practice, expanding her work into painting, welding, stone carving, and sculpture.
With sixteen years of classical dance training, Melanie brings a choreographic awareness of movement and spatial tension into her visual work. This embodied perspective informs her approach to composition, gesture, and form, as if each piece were a performance embedded in material. Committed to sustainability, she works exclusively with recycled and found materials, guided by the conviction that nothing is ever static or discarded and everything can be reimagined into art.
NICE TO MEET
YOU
Work Experience
Interior Designer
January - June 2022
SCOUT UI/UX Designer
August 2022- January 2023
JCDecaux Photographer
July 2023 -December 2024
As an Interior Design Intern at Keeler & Co in Boston, MA, I organized the in-office Library, directed client site measures, and sourced custom fabrics and furniture. I also design decks for client presentations and prioritized daily tasks based on the clientele schedule.
As a web designer, I collaborated with a dedicated team to a new logo and website for Tatum Robotics, ensuring through user testing with Deaf-blind members. I consistently feedback, revised designs, and presented weekly deliverables in client meetings to maintain alignment with project goals.
As a Photographer for JCDecaux, my responsibilities included capturing and editing visual assets of the inventory across NYC for client use. I archived and managed the digital portfolio which featured assets from malls, airports, and streets. I also assisted the marketing department in producing high-quality short-form content for internal purposes and provided to the Graphics Department on various projects, utilizing my design, editing, and image manipulation skills. Additionally, I captured visual assets of JCDecaux's inventory in Boston for both internal and external consumption while working independently and remotely, maintaining communication with the New York City office.
