Baker—Hall is pleased to present a two-person exhibition featuring Miami-based artists, painter Melissa Wallen, and textile artist Alissa Alfonso.
Through their distinctive practices, both artists offer a deeply evocative exploration of memory, nature, and the human connection to place. Through painting and soft sculpture, Wallen and Alfonso invite viewers to traverse spaces where the boundaries between the personal and the universal, the real and the imagined, are fluid and ever-shifting.
Melissa Wallen’s paintings draw from a rich tapestry of personal snapshots, poetry, music, and art history, forming abstract landscapes that navigate the boundaries between memory and reality through the fluid nature of oil paint. Her work interweaves fragmented elements, creating spaces that are both familiar and otherworldly. Gesture and hue act as guideposts through emotional landscapes. Her intuitive paint handling, characterized by loose, swirling brushstrokes and a conscious embrace of the canvas surface, echoes the Romantic and Mannerist traditions. Fog, mist, and light mingle within her works, forming expansive dreamscapes that invite viewers to step into brilliantly lit nightscapes or traverse the astral plane.
Alissa Alfonso’s textile sculptures turn to the natural world to examine our relationship with abundance, waste, and preservation. In her series Nature’s Medicine, Alfonso repurposes discarded fabrics and found objects to create soft sculptures that embody the essence of medicinal plants and botanicals. Her use of upcycled materials—gathered from beach cleanups and repurposed plastic items like beach balls, as well as hand-dyed fabrics—highlights the fragility of nature while celebrating its resilience.
This presentation explores the intersections of memory, emotion, and nature—spaces that are as much about personal reflection as they are about our collective relationship with the world around us
About Alissa Alfonso
Alissa Alfonso’s artistic practice revolves around the transformation of the past into a dialogue with the future, exemplifying a profound reverence for the natural world. Embracing diverse roles—artist, mother, collector, designer—Alfonso’s work reflects her multifaceted identity and her commitment to both environmental preservation and community engagement.
Operating from her home studio nestled within a 1937 art deco house in Hollywood, Florida, Alfonso’s creative process is deeply intertwined with her surroundings. Utilizing repurposed, hand-dyed fabrics, she crafts botanical soft sculptures reminiscent of healing plants, inviting viewers to contemplate the intrinsic connection between humanity and nature.
Alfonso’s artistic vision extends beyond the confines of her studio, manifesting in initiatives such as “Off the Canvas,” a pioneering arts program she founded for Broward County Schools. By championing non-traditional mediums and emphasizing the omnipresence of art in everyday life, Alfonso empowers young minds to explore their creative potential while fostering a deeper appreciation for sustainability.
Her current endeavors span a spectrum of mediums and concepts, from large-scale fabric murals to functional lighting inspired by organic forms. While her work poignantly acknowledges the fragility of nature in the face of environmental change, it resounds with a message of hope, encapsulating the enduring beauty and resilience of the natural world.
Alissa Alfonso’s artistic practice weaves together threads of memory, community, and environmental stewardship to create a tapestry that speaks to both the present moment and the possibilities of the future.
About Melissa Wallen
Melissa Wallen draws inspiration from a diverse array of sources such as personal snapshots, poetry, music, and art history, forming images which abstract through the malleable nature of memory and the expressive qualities of oil paint. The result is an interplay of elements that coalesce to form spaces rich with fragmentation. Gesture and hue serve as guideposts through emotional landscapes which are built on the convergence of these disparate influences, channeled through the transformative power of painting.
Born in New Jersey, Wallen moved to Miami in 2006. After receiving her BFA in Painting and Fibers at Florida International University, she joined the staff of the de la Cruz Collection, opening the private collection of Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz to the public in Miami’s Design District in 2009. Most recently, she held the position of Director until the collection’s closure in 2024. In 2022, she was recognized as a Knight Arts Champion by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for her ongoing contributions and leadership within Miami’s art community.
Baker—Hall is a contemporary art gallery founded by Amanda Baker—Hall in 2024. It is the successor to her previous project, Club Gallery. The gallery aims to promote emerging and mid-career artists through a fresh curatorial approach, while also offering comprehensive art advisory services. Baker—Hall specializes in painting and sculpture across narrative and non-objective styles, with a focus on collaborating with private collectors and prominent corporate institutions. The gallery boasts a robust exhibition schedule, featuring a minimum of eight rotating exhibitions each year.
Baker—Hall is a proud member of NADA.
1294 NW 29th St.
Miami, FL 33142
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