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Melanie Ubaldo (b. 1992, Philippines) is an Icelandic artist based in Reykjavik.
Ubaldo creates monuments to unbelonging. Her artistic practice constitutes an examination of profound intersectionality by way of autobiography. Her works are characterized by vulnerable autobiographical narratives around racism, prejudice, power and discrimination. Using diverse media, her large scale installations address home, memory, poverty, displacement, immigration and identity. Despite the scale of her works, they simultaneously bring forth a delicate quality, mirroring the fragility and precariousness of their subject matter.
Alongside her solo practice, Ubaldo is a co-founder of Lucky 3, a collective of Icelandic artists of Filipino origins.
Contact: melanieherself@gmail.com
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CV
Education:
2020-2022 MA Fine Arts, Iceland University of the Arts
2013-2016 BA Fine Arts, Iceland University of the Arts
2015 Universität der Künste Berlin, Exchange, Germany
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Solo Exhibitions:
2025 Án ramma / Unframed, Listamenn Gallery, Reykjavik, Iceland
2024 From the Archive of Longing: "Swiss Miss", Berg Culture House, Dalvík, Iceland
2023-2024 Afar ósmekklegt / Completely Tasteless, Akureyri Art Museum, Akureyri, Iceland
2023 TRAPO, Ásmundarsalur, Reykjavík, Iceland
2023 Don't Come Crying To Me, Gallery Gudmundsdottir, Berlin, Germany
2022 Almost Perfect, Þula, Reykjavik, Iceland
2022 Talk Dirty to Me, Rýmd, Reykjavík, Iceland
2021 En þú ert samt hvítasta dökka manneskja sem ég þekki, Gallerí Skilti / Gallery Sign, Reykjavik, Iceland
2020 What are you doing in Iceland with your face? Inclusive Public Space - Reykjavik City Library, Iceland
2015 litla sæta asíska stelpan, Kubburinn, Iceland Academy of the Arts
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Group Exhibitions/Activities:
2024-2025 Innsýn, útsýn- Listasafn Íslands í 140 ár/ Looking Inward, Looking Outward-140 years of the National Gallery of Iceland, National Gallery of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
Ongoing 2023 - Outside Looking In, Various locations in the USA, Europe and Asia, Collaboration between the Icelandic Art Center, Iceland Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Íslandststofa (Inspired by Iceland)
2023 LOS PRIMXS - Lucky 3 x Hugo Llanes, Local Taller, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
2023 Opnun, Y Gallery, Kópavogur, Iceland
2022 Lucky 3 presents Kamayan, Goethe Morphe Iceland, The Nordic House, Reykjavik, Iceland
2022 Við getum talað saman/We can talk, Gerðarsafn - Kópavogur Art Museum, Iceland
2022 Undið af veruleikum/Unraveling realities - MA Graduation Show, The Living Art Museum, Reykjavik, Iceland
2022 Ertu héðan? KFUM & K, Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland
2021-2022, Abrakadra - töfrar samtímalistar/ Abrakadabra - The Magic of Contemporary Art, Reykjavik Art Museum - Hafnarhús, Reykjavik, Iceland
2021 PUTI - Lucky 3 for Sequences X, Open, Sequences Real Time Art Festival, Reykjavik, Iceland
2021 Samfélag skynjandi vera/Community of Sentient Beings, Hafnarborg Centre of Culture and Fine Art, Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
2021 Ertu búið að borða? Did you eat already? Nikaon na ka?, Lucky 3 for LungA Art Festival, Seyðisfjörður, Iceland
2021 GERÐUResque, Gerðarsafn - Kópavogur Art Museum, Iceland
2021 Berskjölduð/Unarmed, Listasafn Reykjanesbæjar, Reykjanesbær, Iceland
2020 Ég læt ekki spila með mig/I won't let them fool me, Verksmiðjan á Hjalteyri, Hjalteyri, Iceland
2020 Vestur í bláinn, Mjódd, Reykjavik, Iceland
2019-2020 Lucky Me? Kling og Bang, Marshall House, Reykjavik Iceland
2019 Reacción A Islandia, Pavilion Nordico, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2018-19 Inclusively Exclusive - Cycle Music and Arts Festival, Gerðarsafn - Kópavogur Art Museum, Iceland
2018 Cryptopian States - Cycle Music and Arts Festival, Residence of the Ambassador of Iceland to Germany, Berlin, Germany
2017 Málverk- ekki miðill/Painting- Not a Medium, Hafnarborg Centre of Culture and Fine Art, Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
2017 Slæmur félagsskapur / Bad Company, Kling & Bang, Marshall House, Reykjavik, Iceland
2016 Ytri Höfnin, BA Graduation Show, Reykjavik Art Museum - Hafnarhús, Reykjavik, Iceland
2016 NO SOLO, Skaftfell Center of Visual Arts, Seyðisfjörður, Iceland
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Grants/Awards
Ongoing 2025 Residency, International Studio and Curatorial Program (ISCP), New York, United States of America
2024 Listamannalaun/Artist salary, Rannís - The Icelandic Centre for Research, Grant
2023 Listamannalaun/ Artist salary, Rannís - The Icelandic Centre for Research, Grant
2023 Myndlistarsjóður/The Icelandic Visual Arts Fund, Project grant
2022 Myndlistarsjóður/The Icelandic Visual Arts Fund, Project grant
2022 Lucky 3 - Motivational Award, Icelandic Art Prize, The Icelandic Visual Arts Council, Award
2021 Svavar Guðnasson and Ásta Eiríksdóttir Memorial Fund, Grant/Award
2020 Myndstef/The Icelandic Visual Art Copyright Association, Project grant
2020 Myndlistarsjóður/The Icelandic Visual Arts Fund, Project grant
2020 Listamannalaun/ Artist salary, Rannís - The Icelandic Centre for Research, Grant
2019 Myndlistarsjóður/The Icelandic Visual Arts Fund, Project grant
2019 Myndstef/The Icelandic Visual Art Copyright Association, Project grant
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Other
2024 Curator, BA Fine Arts Graduation Exhibition, Iceland University of the Arts, Reykjavik Art Museum - Hafnarhús, Reykjavik, Iceland
2022 Friends of Nýló Artist of the Year
2020- Board member of the artists run gallery Kling & Bang, Reykjavik, Iceland
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Melanie Ubaldo ©
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