Melissa Aytenfisu is a Canadian artist who specializes in oil paintings, digital print media, photography, printmaking and drawing. A native of Edmonton, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education at the University of Alberta, before moving to Montreal where she eventually received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Concordia University. During the years in between, Aytenfisu taught high school in Quebec, China, and the United States while honing her craft and creating works that have appeared in exhibition spaces across multiple continents. Her experiences growing up in a multiracial family of nine and traveling through Africa, Asia and North America have directed her artistic practice towards themes of identity, mobility and social justice. 

Melissa moved to Houston, Texas in 2013 and is currently a teaching artist at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. She lives in Third ward, Houston with her two preschoolers Tyson and Zara.