Mela WayFinder, an artist born in Viterbo in 1981, has evolved her art form from illustration to photography, and from videos to installations. Following her graduation in Communication Sciences at "La Sapienza," she pursued the art of filmmaking at Central Saint Martins in London. Upon her return to Rome, she enrolled in the Scuola Romana di Fumetti to continue her education. Over the years, she has explored a diverse range of artistic mediums, such as documentaries, short films, photography, and interactive installations.
The name WayFinder holds a key to understanding Mela’s work. Her art is a form of research — an exploration. It is a search that begins in the creative process itself, where the artist moves from deep questions and subtle feelings of discomfort that seek meaning, guided by an innate trust in the presence of a hidden order — a “sense” that reveals itself as a manifestation of Love in the Universe. But it is also a search extended as an invitation to those who encounter her work: an invitation to set out on a journey, to become seekers of paths, of meaning, of inner truth.
The main focus of her creations is not on achieving beauty or pleasure, but rather to entice the audience to prolong the journey of exploration initiated by the artist; to dwell in uncertainty, as it provides the fertile terrain for inner evolution. Her purpose is to encourage the individual to explore new avenues, let go of biases and be receptive to the subtle vibrations from our senses.
Having started from a direct, objective documentary approach, Mela WayFinder’s work has evolved into something more introspective — less explicit and didactic, and more poetic, at times even cryptic. It is now rooted in a kind of sensibility that invites the viewer to engage with a double gaze. On one hand, the observer can enjoy the harmony of forms through an immediate, sensory, and objective experience. On the other, they are offered the possibility of a second gaze — a journey through inner echoes, where the relationship with the artwork becomes intimate and shaped by one’s own personal experience.
“Dafne Crocella”
