Overwhelm
Melanie is an interdisciplinary artist committed to using her practice to address social and environmental issues, using her artistic vision to make immersive installations that encourage discussion and inspire change. Sustainability is at the heart of everything that she makes; she is driven by her commitment to using only reclaimed and biodegradable materials in her work.
Melanie’s approach to art is both powerful and purposeful. The way she blends sustainability with artistic expression not only raises awareness about environmental issues but also offers an immersive, sensory experience that resonates with her audience long after they’ve left the exhibition space. Drawing on her background in theatre production, she produces sculptural, wearable textile art, which is shared at performative installations that engage the senses. Overwhelm features wearable art made from reclaimed and recycled textiles, exhibited in a theatrical setting. The addition of projection, lighting, and sound creates a sensory experience for the viewer.
By using reclaimed and biodegradable materials, Melanie creates art that doesn’t just exist in the moment; it also contributes to a larger conversation about consumption, waste, and our relationship to the planet. By photographing and filming her installations and sharing them digitally, she is ensuring that the impact of her work extends beyond the physical space to reach a global audience.
The Weight of My Choices embodies the overwhelming volume of clothing that ends up in landfills. Imagine a scenario where we must carry the literal and symbolic weight of our consumption, much like Jacob Marley is bound by the chains of his greed. It is an oppressive and surreal garment made from layers upon layers of discarded clothing, fused in an excessive and suffocating form.
This work evokes discomfort to inspire reflection, urging the audience to examine their own purchasing habits, their role in perpetuating waste, and the broader societal implications of a disposable culture. Made entirely from upcycled garments, the piece has a patchwork quality, representing the diverse and fractured nature of consumer culture. The physical weight of the garment mirrors the very real impact of waste on our planet and our lives. The act of wearing it becomes an immersive experience one that forces the wearer to feel the burden of their consumption, just as society must carry the weight of the choices we make.
Network invites the wearer and the audience to reflect on their relationship to nature, pollution, and waste in a way that feels tangible and deeply connected to our ecosystems. It also speaks to a kind of quiet but powerful strength, much like the mycorrhizal network itself. This underground fungal system that connects the plants and trees, is a perfect metaphor for the interconnectedness of all living things.
Sustainability Matters… is a film born from the idea that art has the power to amplify voices and inspire change. The film is directly inspired by a wearable piece of art, which features powerful, personal images contributed by members of the public, each reflecting why sustainability matters to them. Many of those involved have also recorded heartfelt statements, which are woven throughout the film.
The film is designed to be a hopeful and optimistic exploration of our collective responsibility to protect the environment. By showcasing voices from different corners of the world, spoken in multiple languages, it reinforces the global scale of this issue. Sustainability is not a localized concern but a universal one something that binds us all together, regardless of geography or background.
The Installation - 26/08/2025
Visitor Reviews
Overwhelm, a striking fusion of textiles, theatre, and film, doesn’t simply advocate for responsible fashion: it embodies it. This immersive installation is a tactile collage of salvaged garments, fragmented memories, and spoken word, all weaved together to expose our fraught entanglement with fast fashion. Activism here is not delivered with a sermon, but with style and subversion. Performers don repurposed clothing, each piece a relic of consumer excess and a symbol of possible renewal. Interspersed looping film sequences depict nature not as a backdrop, but as a protagonist in our globally collective effort to preserve it.
Earnest without being naïve, Overwhelm refuses to offer neat solutions. Instead, it poses a challenging provocation: can we wear our ethics as visibly as our aesthetics? In an age of curated eco-posturing, this installation is refreshingly raw in its honesty. D Vandepeer
This exhibition was powerful, original, and thought-provoking. The creativity in the way each piece conveyed its message was inspiring. It serves to encourage reflection on our relationship with the environment and the impact of our choices. A moving and meaningful experience—thank you for sharing your vision. M Cullen
‘Overwhelm’ was unlike anything I’ve experienced before, and it’s an exhibition I won’t forget. The focus on sustainability wasn’t just thought-provoking for me, it was visceral: I felt a heaviness and discomfort in my arms as I experienced it, perhaps weighed down by guilt and responsibility. The interactive format was incredible: two performers wearing the garments and acting alongside a video, created an atmosphere that was immersive and alive. It went far beyond simply ‘looking’ at art; it pulled you in and made you feel the weight of the message, making you physically part of the conversation.
What struck me most was how deeply it made me reflect on my own clothing choices and consumption, even long after leaving the exhibition. I felt a mix of guilt and awareness, but also a drive to do better. That balance of emotional impact and motivation is what makes this work so memorable. Sustainability is a word we hear everywhere, yet it often stays abstract, something we all agree with in theory but don’t practice daily. Here, it was made real – something you could feel deeply, and carry forward as motivation to change. The combination of creativity, performance, and message was inspiring. It managed to challenge, educate, and move me all at once; bold, emotive, and uniquely creative. A powerful statement on an issue that affects us all. K Land
This powerful exhibition by Melanie Jeffrey invites discussion in a raw stark manner as it illustrates Mother Earth represented by actors, being dragged down and swamped by the weight of their discarded clothing. A further actor stood in an oversized petri dish, representing in what I felt was the toxic substances produced by the decomposing waste. The exhibition took place in a blacked-out theatre space with only minimal light showing from the film accompanying the physical display. The darkness accentuated the despair which faces our endangered planet through the choices we make, or fail to make in this age of throw-away culture. Melanie had the courage to make the viewer feel uncomfortable, the message she portrayed was the raw, painful suffering of our planet through our thoughtlessness and the need for us to act before it is too late, as our manmade mountains of discarded garments continue to poison our land sky and seas. W Ward