About the Artist

Melissa Chimera (b. 1972) is a conservationist and Honolulu native of Lebanese and Filipino ancestry. She studied natural resources management at the University of Hawai‘i, a world epicenter for plant and animal extinction and worked for two decades as a conservation manager. She keeps a studio on Hawai‘i Island where she lives with her husband and son.

Chimera’s work investigates species extinction, globalization and human migration. She is the recipient of local honors and awards as well as international grants, commissions and exhibitions in the Middle East, across the U.S. mainland and Asia. Her exhibitions include "The Far Shore" (Arab American National Museum) "Migrant" (Honolulu Museum of Art) and "Agents of Change" (Hui No`eau Visual Arts Center, Maui).

e-mail: [email protected]