Melissa Holmes is an Atlanta-based visual artist whose charcoal and paint portraits explore observation, memory, environment, and the subtle complexities of individual experience. Working through highly attentive figurative studies and research-driven projects, Holmes creates work that examines the relationship between personal narrative, physical presence, and the systems that shape contemporary life.

Originally trained in computer science, Holmes earned a degree from Clemson University before working as a software engineer for a decade. Her background in technology continues to inform her artistic practice, particularly through investigations into data, structure, perception, and the evolving intersection between art and computational thinking.

After attending the School for Poetic Computation in New York, Holmes expanded her practice to include research-based and historically informed projects exploring Atlanta’s overlooked histories and urban transformation. Through drawing, painting, and conceptual inquiry, her work reflects a balance between technical rigor, emotional sensitivity, and careful observation of the human condition.