Melinda Braathen b. 1985, Oslo (Norway) | Lives and works in Los Angeles (USA)

Melinda Braathen’s paintings explore the intersection of consciousness and its reciprocity with the natural world. There is a sense of uninterrupted time in her paintings, where a seemingly fleeting moment can unfold and encounter something more ancient, unfamiliar, sacred or uneasy. Braathen’s paintings create spaces where the boundaries between internal psychological states and external natural forces blur, advancing her inquiry into the concept of consciousness as a fluid state that extends beyond corporeal limits. Her paintings become somatic visuals and ontological maps where the body is no longer a discrete vessel, but a porous site of exchange.   

Melinda Braathen lives and works in Los Angeles. She earned her BFA from Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, US in 2007. Her recent exhibitions include Soft Bodies, UC Santa Barbara, CA, US (2025); Atmosphere, Baert Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, US (2024); Charged Bodies, Golsa, Oslo, Norway (2023); Alice Folker, Copenhagen, Denmark (2023); Currents, Baert Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, US (2022). Her work is included in numerous collections, including in the USA, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Norway, Greece, Nigeria, Czech Republic, and United Arab Emirates.