Biography

b. 1966, Reading, Pennsylvania Melissa Strawser is an American sculptor and printmaker whose work bridges the disciplines of fine art printmaking, metal sculpture, and sound-based art. Drawing upon more than three decades of studio practice, Strawser has developed a distinctive body of work that reflects a deep understanding of material, form, and process while maintaining a strong connection to the traditions of handcraft. Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, into a multi-generational family of artists, Strawser was immersed in creative practice from an early age. She pursued formal training in printmaking in the United Kingdom, studying at Kingston University before earning her Master’s Degree in Printmaking from the renowned Slade School of Fine Art, University College London. Her education placed her within a rigorous lineage of master printmakers and established the technical foundation that continues to inform her work today. Since 1998, Strawser has maintained a close artistic collaboration with sculptor Val Bertoia at the historic Bertoia Studio in Pennsylvania. Working alongside one of the foremost inheritors of the Harry Bertoia legacy, she has spent more than two decades immersed in an environment where sculpture, sound, and experimentation converge. This long-standing relationship has profoundly influenced her artistic development, particularly through the exploration of metal as both a visual and resonant medium. Strawser’s sculptural practice, which she describes as “Intaglio Sculpture,” combines the sensitivity of a printmaker with the spatial awareness of a sculptor. Her works often evoke organic forms found in nature while emphasizing movement, rhythm, and interaction with light and environment. Created primarily from copper, bronze, and steel, her sculptures occupy a space between abstraction and recognition, inviting viewers into a contemplative dialogue with form and material. A significant aspect of Strawser’s practice has been her collaboration with Val Bertoia on works connected to the celebrated Sonambient tradition established by Harry Bertoia. Since 2017, the two artists have worked together to create unique gong prints derived from Bertoia’s bronze sounding sculptures, further expanding the intersection between printmaking, sculpture, and sound. Through these collaborations, Strawser has become part of a living artistic lineage that continues one of the most important sculptural traditions in postwar American art. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including exhibitions in Germany, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Prints by Strawser are held in public and private collections in the United States, Germany, and England, while her sculptures reside in numerous private collections and commissioned public settings. Today, Melissa Strawser continues to explore the relationship between printmaking, sculpture, and the natural world through a practice rooted in technical mastery, material exploration, and a lifelong commitment to creative discovery. Her work stands at the intersection of contemporary sculpture and traditional craftsmanship, offering collectors a unique perspective shaped by decades of artistic inquiry and one of the most enduring collaborative relationships within the Bertoia Studio.