Born in Victoria, Mela Cooke’s journey began with a solid educational foundation at the University of Melbourne and the University of Queensland. She worked as a physiotherapist in her own private practice for 25 years in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, before fully committing to her passion for sculpture.
Mela’s formal art education includes studying sculpture at the Brisbane Institute of Art under Frank Lambert from 1991 to 1993. She continued her studies privately with Lambert until 2014. Mela also honed her skills in marble sculpting with Graham Radcliffe between 1998 and 2000 in Brisbane, and with the Italian sculptor Giovanni Balderi in 2000.
Mela served as the President of Sculptors Queensland in 2015 and 2016, and as Vice President from 2017 to 2020.
Mela has a rich history of participation in both group and solo exhibitions. Her works have been showcased in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, London, Sorrento, and internationally in cities like Paris, Berlin, New York, Innsbruck, and Miami. Notable exhibitions include:
Mela’s sculptures are featured prominently in public spaces, including twenty-four pieces in the CBD of Maryborough, Queensland. Her works ‘Dingo Family’ and ‘Platypus’ are installed at the Hervey Bay Cultural Centre, and the sculpture of Essex Tait is displayed in Toowoomba CBD.
Mela’s work has been widely recognized, earning numerous awards such as:
Mela’s sculptures are held in private collections across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, France, the USA, the UK, Belgium, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Spain, and Germany.
Mela is represented by several galleries in Australia and internationally, including Gallery One (Southport, Qld), Soho Galleries (Sydney, NSW), ARTPark Australia (Woolloomooloo, NSW), Manyung Gallery Group (Sorrento, Vic), and Galeria Azur (Berlin, Germany and Miami, USA), among others.
