Melanie Vera’s work addresses the connection, or lack thereof, between the mind and body. Questioning each element of what it means to be human, Vera intends for viewers to become more aware of the physical space they occupy and the psychosocial plane they traverse. Her works resemble familiar imagery of humankind — arms, legs, faces — but in an unfamiliar manner. Whether this conjures uneasiness or comfort in viewers, it is the self awareness and questions she seeks to provoke. 

Vera uses a variety of materials such as fabric, found papers, inks, paint, wax, small objects, and human hair to create her sculptural works. The soft and cottony sculptures are juxtaposed by their unsettling appearance, creating a dissonance between comfort and confusion. Her works explore the complexity of humankind in body and spirit, estranging what is most familiar to humans with that which is intangible.

Whether this interest in the body stems from her parents’ stories of working in the medical field, her life-long experiences with eczema, or her past battle with anorexia, is unknown. The therapeutic process Vera follows of painting, sewing, and tediously adhering materials immerses her in the artmaking process.