Created through an intuitive, automatic process, these paintings explore separation, loss, emergence and reunion, resonating with the emotional journey of A Winter’s Tale without illustrating specific characters or episodes.

Melissa Alley explores intuitive and automatic approaches to painting, allowing images, figures and presences to emerge through the process of making. Influenced by Cecil Collins, whom she studied with at Central Saint Martins, her practice engages with altered states and the unseen.

Melissa Alley studied at Wimbledon School of Art and Central Saint Martins (1983–86), where she was taught by Cecil Collins. A professional mesmerist since 2014, she was elected a member of The London Group in 2026. Her work has been exhibited in London and internationally, including at the 2017 Venice Biennale. In 2026, she was included in One eye sees, the other feels at Vivienne Roberts Projects, London.