Our studio came about from a lifelong need to create, explore, and share that exploration with others. Shaped by years navigating the art world from the margins, it is rooted in learning through doing, failing, and connecting.

Raised in Brooklyn and immersed in North Brooklyn’s grassroots art scene of the mid-2000s, I was equally shaped by childhood summers spent in the woods of Upstate New York. I learned early that creativity thrives in both chaos and calm. My earliest inspirations weren’t galleries or museums, but bark and branches, birds in flight—wild and uncontained.

I was never a traditional student. In addition to an art education, much of what I learned also came from libraries, studios, galleries, and relentless curiosity across disciplines—welding, casting, textiles, sculpture, and ceramics. Clay became my anchor, connecting me to the earth, to history, and to both functional and fine art. After more than a decade working with ceramics, I pursued a degree in Horticulture, learning how to shape living spaces with intention and care.

Untamed is not just a studio—it is a sanctuary. A place for those who don’t fit into boxes. Where individuality is celebrated, creativity is lived, and everyone is welcome to create, together.

This space is a tribute to the makers, misfits, punks, plant lovers, and dreamers. A love letter to my community and the woods that raised me—and to the belief that the freedom to create is always worth pursuing.

— Mel