Melania Trejo (b. México city, 1977)
I am an interdisciplinary artist, activist and educator. By choice, a mother, a wife and a migrant, based in the Hague. In my work, I engage deeply with social contexts building practices rooted in dialogue and community, both in and outside the art world.
The study of materiality and craft techniques is core to my practice. It is the vehicle to explore relationships between people, ecology and territory. It allows me to look deeper into issues related to interconnectedness, impermanence and embodied knowledge. My work takes shape through workshops, installations, research, writing and collaborations.
My thinking is rooted in queer and feminist theory, and teachings from indigenous cosmovision from Maya and Wiraritari peoples. I take inspiration from scholars and activists such as Angela Davis, Gloria Anzaldúa, Sara Ahmed, Judith Butler, Astrida Neimanes, Donna Haraway, Simone Weil, Vandana Shiva, Ursula Le Guin, adrienne maree brown, whose ideas about connectivity, community, diaspora, resistance and transformation remind me of our ability to change ourselves and the world.
Background
I have a BA Psychology, a Masters degree in International and Public Health, and 20+ years of experience working with grass roots and international organisations providing psychosocial support, advise on policy advocacy, strategic planning and health financing.
I made a life-changing shift in my early 40’s when I decided to pursue an education in the arts. In July 2025 I graduated BA Fine Arts from the Royal Academy of Arts The Hague.
This interdisciplinary approach alongside an element of autobiography are present in my work, showing an inclination for self-reflectivity and a constant attitude for situating myself in time and space.
Perhaps the most fundamental to the origin of my work is curiosity and a deep love of and respect for the natural world, and the complexities of the human experience [behaviour, interactions, idiosyncrasies, our contradictory nature].