Upcoming Exhibition: Mel Aliendi – Wonderplay

Handmark’s emerging artist for 2026, Mel Aliendi, is inspirational on so many levels. Apart from her obvious talents as a painter, she is also testament to the adage that it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

A teacher by profession, Mel is 51 years old and about to unveil her first solo exhibition, Wonderplay. This is a vibrantly joyous collection of abstract paintings, but perhaps most remarkable is the fact that that her journey with a paintbrush only began six years ago: “I am a creative person and was looking for something to do, a new hobby, so I signed up for some local art classes in South Hobart and it just snowballed from there,” Mel explains.

Mel has a collection of 30 paintings of all sizes in Wonderplay, a title that perfectly captures the spirit of her work: “This exhibition is about the meeting place of wonder and play. I am always full of wonder when I begin a painting. I never have a plan, instead I am guided by curiosity and trust that the answers will come. But there is also playfulness in the freedom to be colourful and expressive with no judgement.”

In fact, colour is Mel’s touchstone. In her large-scale painting, The Upside Down House, the canvas bursts with pops of vermilion red, pink, green, and Prussian blue. “No colour is off limits.” But there is also whimsy with hints of a small village where diamond shapes echo a ‘Moroccan vibe.’ Spontaneity is another trademark of her work. “I want my art to remain visibly human-made. Blurred edges, uneven marks and uncertain gestures are left untouched. These are the moments when the work feels most alive.”

Mel Aliendi’s solo exhibition Wonderplay opens at Handmark on August 28 and runs until September 14