"Melon Bal" is an original acrylic painting on canvas mounted to board from 1997 by Della Wells. It is signed by the artist on the lower right of the painting. The image depicts a young African American girl wearing a pink dress and sitting on a large watermelon. Wells has said that watermelons represent stereotypes of African Americans. A crescent moon appears in the upper left of the painting against a yellow and white background. 

Artwork Size: 10" x 8"
Frame Size: 16 3/4" x 12 3/4"

Artist Bio:

Born in 1951, Della Wells grew up in Milwaukee. She attended MATC and UWM, studying African American Studies and Women's Studies. As a child and young person, she did not want to become an artist but a storyteller; to this day she considers herself to be a “visual storyteller.” She sold her first work of art at age 13, but she did not begin working as an artist until she was 42. She has said, “I didn’t do anything for a long time, because I didn’t think I had anything to say. You can draw, you may know how to do things technically, but I think to be a true artist you have to have something to say. You have to have a vision.” Her creative process stems from her personal experiences and her works are often inspired by her troubled childhood. Known for her collages, drawings, dolls, paintings, and pastels, Wells has created a magical land called “Mambo” populated and ruled primarily by black women. Wells is a self-taught artist and her work has been successful in “outsider art” venues, including the Outsider Art exhibition in New York. Wells’ art is exhibited in more than 100 private and public collections. Her work has been purchased by the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Her collages are sold at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.