Berman’s painting practice is rooted in an inquiry into perception, ecology, and relational ways of seeing. Living and working in rural East Sussex, Berman engages with the surrounding environment not as a subject to be represented, but as an active force that shapes how she sees, thinks, and makes. Painting becomes a space of encounter, where internal sensibility and external conditions meet, overlap, and transform one another. The work emerges through a process of heightened attention to what is often marginal or overlooked. Forms evolve from observation, memory and research, which entwines realities, becoming fluid, irregular, and symbolic rather than fixed or descriptive.
Through colour, tactility, material deconstruction and re-synthesis the imagery unfolds. Forms grow, merge, dissolve, and reappear, reflecting cycles of regeneration and transformation found within living systems. Man-made and natural elements are brought into dialogue, functioning as agents that register human intervention while remaining embedded within broader ecological networks. Compositional relationships are negotiated through tension and harmony, with muted tonal grounds anchoring more saturated elements that emerge as energy or focus. These interactions suggest both individual and collective trajectories, echoing migratory movement, spiritual reflection, and spatial rhythms.
Through painting, Berman seeks to create glimpses of perceptual stillness within complexity. Rather than offering resolution, the work invites sustained engagement, encouraging reflection on interconnectedness, transformation, and our position within a constantly evolving system of fragility whilst capturing resilience in contemporary life.
Melanie Berman: Biography
Melanie Berman (b. Surrey, UK) lives and works in East Sussex. She graduated from the University for the Creative Arts with a BA in Painting (2008), and from Berkshire College of Art (1980) with a BA in Fashion Design. Her work is in private collections in the USA Canada France Portugal and Australia. She has been awarded various commissions including SMC Design, London. Most recently she exhibited at the - Royal Academy London Summer Exhibition (2019, 2021, 2022, 2024) - Royal Scottish Academy (2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025 ) Her work also featured in the Royal Academy Calendar 2021. She exhibited at Wells Art Contemporary Exhibition 2021, Lido Open Finalist 2021, Beep Painting Biennial Wales in 2022 and the Bankley Open Exhibition in 2022. Barclays Bank residency 2021-22, Contemporary British Painting Prize Long Listed 2023, RHA selected 2023 The Ballinglen Art Foundation Biennial County Mayo Ireland 2023/24 The ING Discerning Eye Exhibition Mall Gallery 2023 Jacksons Art Prize : Judges Choice Huge Barclay Award 2024, Amelia Museum and Gallery Tunbridge Wells 2025 San Francisco Art Fair 2025 London Art Fair 2026