Michele’s hand-built clay sculptures allow her to express her animated view of the world which includes a strong narrative; clay is the physical expression of her stories.

A graduate of Red Deer College’s Visual Arts program, she was awarded the Red Deer College Kite award for excellence. She is currently living in Procter B.C located in the Kootenays, where she owns and operates Gallery 229. Michele launched Dupas Designs online store in July of 2020.

Reconnecting with her art practice, she is exploring new work that examines the ramifications of climate change, Alien Flora: The Age of Rediscovery.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Alien Flora tackles the tough question of what will become of our environment by creating a palatable and witty narrative.  A post apocalyptic ceramic garden of catastrophes, a visual exploration of the impact of our current choices.

This installation creates the same sense of awe and wonder reminiscent of museum exhibitions that displayed exotic plant specimens collected by 17^th to 20^th century botanists during the “Age of Discovery”.

Alien Flora demonstrates the powerful dichotomy of beauty in the face of genetically created chaos and establishes a dialog that is relevant to our current events, the impact of the climate crisis to our psyche.

Strojich Fellowship 2022