Bittersweet | Melissa Brunner & Alice Lo
- Necessary Arts Collective
- 3 hours ago
- 5 min read
Exhibiting February 24 - March 10, 2026
With gratitude to the Canada Council for the Arts for funding this project.
"Bittersweet presents selected artworks from an earlier grant project that expanded my artistic practice and fostered artistic collaborations with 3 Deaf artists. I wanted to push out of my own box, creatively expand into different mediums, textures, and approaches in my work. Using four areas of creative research, I dove into themes of whimsy, humour, grief, anger, pain, and an evolving identity.
Animals are one of my favourite subjects to paint. I like to imagine how lovesick, fat-positive, bold, expressive, loud, and day-dreaming some animals are. Both paintings of “dead on arrival” more so reflect the opposite side of me that looks curiously and closely at death. From wanting to rescue and arriving at a gruesome reality. Another area of focus touches onto the manifestations of somatic pain, pain that presents itself physically with an unseen cause. I wanted to give my self-portrait work an x-ray kind of feel by layering bright colours, fat-positive moments with an inside-the-body look. There is some obvious red inflammation, or an invisible layer of phosphorescent paint that glows in the dark, representing the spectrum of pain. While similar to physical somatic pain, psychological pain presents itself differently. This area of research felt harder to express, since it’s not as straightforward as painting a broken elbow or a sore back. I created a metaphor for crossed boundaries that later turned into loud, three dimensional “no’s”. I also drew from experiences that reoccur frequently, like being recognized for my dead mother. There is a complicated tenderness in having my presence in the Deaf community be reminiscent of my parent’s death.
The final phase centered on creative play with 3 other Deaf artists. Opportunities to collaborate with Deaf artists are so rare within a space that is predominantly hearing. Alice and I shared the same interests of feminism and rewilding, and thus Graceful Unyielding was born."
Graceful Unyielding
"The vulva is a beautiful thing, yet it has been long hidden within our bodies. This concealment mirrors women’s lived experiences - years of restricted self-expression and suppressed potential. I bring this form into visibility as an act of feminist rewilding, confronting the ways women have been positioned as inferior in society. Despite this, we have continued to endure, grow, and blossom.
Melissa and I use different materials to convey metaphors of womanhood and feminist rewilding. This work exists to remind society that we are loud and wild within - and that we refuse to be forgotten."
About the Artists
Alice Lo is a Deaf visual artist, photographer, and video editor based in Canada. Born and raised in Indonesia, she immigrated to Canada with her family and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Media from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Alice currently works full-time as a video producer for the ASL & LSQ Translation Services department at a non-profit organization, where she develops accessible visual content for diverse audiences. Alongside her primary role, she maintains a freelance practice as a photographer, visual designer, and ASL translator. With a strong eye for colour, tone, texture, and composition, Alice brings a refined visual sensibility to every project. She also contributes to the arts community as a board member of 1S1 Theatre, supporting Deaf and inclusive artistic initiatives. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, film photography, visiting art museums, and exploring cafés.
29 years young, Melissa Brunner (she/her) is a Deaf, Queer, and Disabled visual artist. Born and raised in Guelph, Melissa's artistry explores the interplay of surrealism and moodiness with bright, vivid colours. She is known for her insightful watercolour portraits that capture subtle nuances in mood. Her hands intuitively reach for watercolour, but you can find her creating with acrylic + oil paints, polymer clay, embroidery, and crochet. In light of Covid-19 in 2020, Melissa’s commitment to her professional art practice began with painting commissioned watercolour portraits. With the increasing virtual accessibility and virtual events, she finally found herself in Deaf, disability and 2SLGBTQ+ artist spaces.
In 2021, she was featured in an online collaborative exhibition named “Deaf Interiors” alongside 5 Deaf artists from across Canada. In 2023, she participated in a local collaborative exhibition for emerging artists named “Neophyte Club” with 12 local visual and musical artists. With grant funding awarded since 2022 by Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, and Guelph Arts Council, she underwent multiple transformative mentorships and completed several successful artistic endeavours. These days, you can find her deep into one of her creative spirals or cheesing with her creations at Deaf community events.
Download the full artwork description list with images below:
Featured Work
smoochable
7.75 x 7.75 inches
Watercolour cut outs, acrylic paint, mounted on birch panel
2025, Melissa Brunner, $200
crush on you
7.75 x 7.75 inches
Fibre paste, watercolour cut outs, matte medium, mounted on birch panel
2025, Melissa Brunner, $200
fat n’ happy
7.75 x 7.75 inches
Watercolour mounted on birch panel
2025, Melissa Brunner, $300
dead on arrival v.2
5.75 x 5.75 inches
Watercolour on paper, acrylic, phosphorescent paint on canvas
2025, Melissa Brunner, $250
the bitter unspoken
20 x 40 inches
Acrylic on canvas
2025, Melissa Brunner, NFS
hazy reconfiguration
18 x 36 inches
Mixed media, matte medium, paper, oil pastel, alcohol ink, acrylic on canvas
2025, Melissa Brunner, NFS
stifle
18 x 18 inches
Acrylic on Canvas
2024, Melissa Brunner, $300
no.1
18 x 18 inches
Acrylic, molding paste, thread, yarn, alcohol ink on canvas
2025, Melissa Brunner, $300
no.2
18 x 18 inches
Acrylic, molding paste, thread, yarn, alcohol ink on canvas
2025, Melissa Brunner, $300
no.3
18 x 18 inches
Acrylic, molding paste, oil pastel, yarn, alcohol ink on canvas
2025, Melissa Brunner, $300
Graceful Unyielding
28 x 25 inches (Dia.)
Mixed Media (textile, clay, yarn, plastic flowers, beads)
2025, Alice Lo, Melissa Brunner, $750
Transitions: rooted grief, marionnette, prickly truth (left to right)
12 x 22 inches (framed)
Watercolour on paper
2024, Melissa Brunner, $350
the cost(ochondritis)
18 x 24
Acrylic, soft + oil pastels, phosphorescent paint on canvas
2024, Melissa Brunner, $400
liberty walk
20 x 30 inches
Acrylic, alcohol ink, phosphorescent paint on canvas
2024, Melissa Brunner, $500
the head and the heart
16 inches (Dia.)
Acrylic, alcohol ink, oil pastel on panel
2024, Melissa Brunner, $250
we died here
30 x 30
Acrylic, oil stick, watercolour paper cut outs on canvas
2025, Melissa Brunner, $500
lean into it
20”x 30
Acrylic, alcohol ink, phosphorescent paint on canvas
2024, Melissa Brunner, $500
lil bebe
12 x 12 inches
Fiber paste & acrylic on canvas
2025, Melissa Brunner, $275
repression // expression
12 x 12 inches
Acrylic & alcohol ink on canvas
2025, Melissa Brunner, NFS
DOOMSDAY
38 x 38 inches
Acrylic, india ink, oil pastels on canvas
2025, Melissa Brunner, $1,500
resist
14 x 14 inches
Acrylic, fabric, oil pastels on canvas
2025, Melissa Brunner, $350
dead on arrival
36 x 36 inches
Acrylic & oil pastel on canvas
2025, Melissa Brunner, $650
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