Marcelle Mansour

Biography

Marcelle Mansour is a Sydney-based Australian multidisciplinary visual artist. Primarily painter, digital Artist, photographer, light artist, poet, intellectual, published author, bilingual writer/journalist and Peace Ambassador. A thought leader in the art industry whose goal is to empower viewers and aspire for transformation, positive social change and just peace towards a better humanity. She earned two Masters, a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and a Master of Studio Arts (MSA) from the University of Sydney, and previously a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English Language & Literature. Her work spans from representational art through to abstract, digital, and light art in a variety of mediums and styles that balance classical insight with contemporary realistic formulation. She has exhibited nationally and internationally in Sydney, New York, Paris (Louvre), Venice, London, Florence and Amsterdam.

Marcelle received numerous art prizes including an Honorary Presidential Award in 2016, the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2017 Queen’s Elizabeth II Birthday Honours, and various Honourable Mention Awards of Artistic Excellence in 2021. She has participated in the 21st ‘Biennale of Sydney’ 2018, the ‘XIII Florence Biennale’ 2021, and is a participant in the ‘Modern Art Masters’ 2022, du Louvre Paris. She is currently one of the recipient’s ArtTour International Top 60 Masters Award (ATIM) 2022, New York.

Marcelle was selected as a Cultural Role Model; she won the prizes for her artwork “Women Strength”, and her literary work “Struggle of Women in Australia”. Her “Threshold” art exhibition of Light and Perception, contributed to the UNESCO International Year of Light in Australia, earning her the Ambassador of Peace Award. Marcelle is the author of “Shifting Waves” book that contains her paintings of prominent personalities, women’s multiple roles, landscapes and poetry. Her exhibition of “Treasure Forever” contained portraits of outstanding diverse Australians painted from real life.

Born and raised in Gaza to Palestinian Christian parents from Jaffa who were displaced from their homeland in 1948. She experienced the disaster of wars in her childhood and youth before migrating to Australia. Inspired by her Western-Eastern cultural backgrounds, her artistic voice is shaped by the impact of war affecting women and civilians, reflecting on the global challenges facing the world. Her work displays an in-depth experience of a unique journey into human psychology, values and heritage with a purpose to find hope towards reshaping the reality of humanity.

Artist Statement

My paintings conjure realistic topics, and expressive portraits. My work is radiant and significant for it reflects on important humanistic topics and highlights the power of vivid colors that plays a powerful role in the viewers’ soul, memory, emotion and energy. Every single artwork is dramatic and rich with the possibility to evoke feelings of curiosity. The directed perception is human, sensuous, rational, spiritual and eternal. There is a symbolic and philosophical thread in my art that penetrates the human soul. This is where I want my viewers to contemplate the inward visual perceptual communication, to open a channel of conversation and to view the unseen. I reflect on human psychology and perception, conscience, consciousness, subconsciousness, and unconsciousness to see the inner significance of my art with a purpose to find hope towards the reconfiguration of humanity and the reshaping of reality.

With an intuitive, multidisciplinary approach to art, my work is based on an exploratory discovery process, as I choose whether it is traditional or digital, or to combine both. I explore my creativity as an artist vis-à-vis traditional and new media art, discovering quality in using new technologies within contemporary culture. My art is a mirror reflecting my soul, thoughts and passions. It depicts my experiences and connection to the world as a Universal Western-Eastern woman who aspires for transformation and positive social change.

Through my art, I explore the world of knowledge, wisdom and optimism, its creation, portrayal, and depiction. To me, that is the role of art at this strange time, to make us think and hope, to feel and wonder, to smile with no fear, to imagine and dream, to endure and heal, to reveal the truth, and to explore the invisible.

Country Australia

Website http://marcellemansour.com.au/