Melissa Brown, San Cristobal Crystal Ball, 2021; Hand-Embellished, Signed and Numbered Limited Edition Print

Melissa Brown combines printmaking and painting to create surreal compositions with both representational and abstract elements.  She is drawn to patterns and influenced by such subjects as landscape paintings and ukiyo-e prints.  Her multilayered work explores what is otherworldly, juxtaposing straightforward images with those captured in mirrors and reflections depicting the tension between our lived and virtual experiences.  San Cristobal Crystal Ball is a fantastic example of Brown’s ability to create surreal landscape scenes that combine abstraction and representation featuring indigenous Puerto Rican jungle fauna. The reflections in the mirror, situated on a windowsill in San Juan, celebrate the powerful, spiritual influence of the plant world. Melissa Brown said about this project to benefit COPI, “ I have visited Puerto Rico on several occasions, and each time it was a blast. This is in large part because of the warmth and receptiveness of the local community. COPI is an organ