Mel Ogden was born in Tokyo, Japan, and lived in Singapore, the United States and Taiwan, returning to live in Australia to attend University.
She currently lives in South Bullarto, Victoria, Australia.
In 1995, Mel purchased a 4.5Ha piece of land in Lyonville, Victoria, for her first large-scale landscape design to further develop a concept surrounding the planting of a series of interconnected sculptural works. The property had good topographical bones, was bare of vegetation other than a strip of bush connecting onto the Wombat Forest, basalt soil, good water catchment ability, high rainfall and cold temperatures.
She set about making a place within which The intention each space was to be imbued with the sensibility of a particular experience of a landscape - a clarity of presence in a moment and place in time.
The property was intended to be experienced by individual visitors rather groups. In that way, it would be possible to explore the notion of private vs. public spaces and explore how individuals relate and respond to a landscape on their own terms.
The result was Reverie: renowned for the way variations of colour and foliage change with the seasons. With its curved lines and elliptical forms, a person walking in this landscape finds themselves part of the inter-related and co-dependent spaces within the landscape.
The same careful, deeply felt aesthetic guides Mel’s ceramic work.
Ikebana vessels and vases continue the sculptural practice of working with landscape forms and materials on a smaller scale.
Ikebana flower arranging is a considered a collaborative process between the vessel/vase and the arrangement itself, so the aim is to make works that stand on their own merits as sculptural objects, while also providing unique forms that complement and support ikebana arrangements.
Mel’s ceramic tableware and vases are objects for everyday enjoyment.
Mel is also one of the creative people behind the Garden of Fire and Water in Avoca, a contemporary Chinese garden commemorating and celebrating the Chinese presence in the town during the gold rush era. The garden design was also driven by sustainable principles and goals.
Part of the design team with lead artist, Lindy Lee, and artistic director Lyndal Jones, Mel's role was to translate the concept of the I Ching number 64, (transformation, inclusivity and process) into an actual garden, as well as project manage and deliver the garden.