Melissa Cowan is a Yorta Yorta woman born in 1990. Her passion is art and photography and she has worked as a photographer before embarking on her visual arts practice in painting. She is currently studying Certificate II Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts at GOTAFE, Shepparton. She enjoys working on community-based projects such a murals and began exhibiting at Kaiela Arts. Melissa is inspired by Country, stories and a connection to place. The wildlife in the surrounding area including wild brumbies are common themes in her work. She also works in acrylics on wood and weaving. Her woven raffia bowl is hand dyed using paprika, coffee and tumeric and finished with natural bead work.