Bio
Meli Bandera (they/them) (b. 1996) is a Chicana multi-disciplinary artist and educator based in the Midwest. They are from South Bend, IN. Their work focuses on the interaction of ancestral fiber techniques and contemporary practices, such as Chicano Tattoo traditions to investigate cultural shifts and the effect migration and place contribute to a cultural identity. Through black and gray linework, bold saturated color, and story driven narrative, Meli explores Mexican and Catholic histories, and family legacy. They hold a BFA in Drawing and Painting from Indiana University South Bend and currently are an MFA candidate in Fiber at Cranbrook Academy of Art.
In 2018, Meli was an artist in residence at the South Bend Museum of Art and at Praxis Fiber Workshop this past summer within their Digital Weaving Residency with the TC2 loom. As an educator, Meli has taught youth programming at the South Bend Museum of Art, University of Notre Dame, Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, and Detroit Institute of Arts. Meli’s work has been exhibited regionally in the Midwest at the Box Factory for the Arts, South Bend Museum of Art, Colfax Cultural Center, Notre Dame Center for Arts and Culture, The Scarab Club, and Buckham Gallery.