Sam Melser

Born in Aotearoa New Zealand to a philosopher/furniture maker dad and a social worker mum, I learnt the importance of social justice, beauty, complexity and hard work all at the same time. I was fortunate enough to be brought up in an artistic family and benefitted from amazing skyscapes, beautiful forest, a wonderful coastline and an open hearth fireplace.
I have exhibited in New Zealand, France, England and Germany and currently live in the South of Germany, in Constance, on the beautiful Bodensee lake.
Living near Zurich enables me to stay connected to the wider art world.

I grew up in small-town New Zealand in a place called Masterton. I attended the NHSPA performing arts high school in Sydney and Makoura College when back in Aotearoa NZ.
I attended the Slade Summer School in London and then the Avignon art school in France. After that, I attended the Michel de Montaigne University in Bordeaux and received my MA in Art and contemporary societies, before the EHESS social science University in Paris where I didn´t quite manage to finish writing my PhD.
During my time in France I developed a passion for prehistory that remains with me to this day.

2024 – Solo exhibition Arthaus contemporary, Auckland, New Zealand.
2024 – Group exhibition with the art collective Zwangsspektrum, Apollo Kulturzentrum, Kreutzlingen, Switzerland.
2022 – Identity Lab Neustart kultur scholarship installation at Café Mondial refugee centre and University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
2022 - Collective exhibition at the Kunstverein, Konstanz, Germany.
2021 – Collective exhibition at viereinhalb, der Projekraum, St.Gallen, Switzerland.
2021 – Solo exhibition at the Harry Watson Gallery, Masterton, NZ.
2020 - Solo exhibition at the Harry Watson Gallery, Masterton, NZ.
2020 – Group exhibition, Manners of Speaking – Te Pūkoro o Tāne, Geoff Wilson Gallery, NZ.
2017 – Conversions - Joint exhibition with Han Nae Kim, Allpress gallery, Auckland, NZ
2017 - Solo exhibition, Popular Social Mechanics, Lake House Art Gallery, Takapuna, Auckland, NZ
2016 – Profusion - Potocki-Paterson Gallery, Solo exhibition, Wellington, NZ
2014 – Secret Happening – HB55 Artspace, Solo exhibition, Berlin, Germany.
2014 – Transastral – Ratskeller Art Centre, Joint exhibition with Cameron Tauschke, Berlin, Germany.
2013 – Works – G11, Joint exhibition with Cameron Tauschke, Leipzig, Germany.