michele melcher

MORS OMNIBUS

solo exhibition

September 19th - October 18th, 2026

Opening Reception: Friday, October 2nd, 2026​

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Arch Enemy Arts presents MORS OMNIBUS by Michele Melcher, a Bucks County painter inspired by death as a reminder to make life worth living. Melcher writes, “The literal Latin translation of the show is ‘death to everyone’ or ‘death for all.’ I decided on this title because of my special interest in Memento Mori art and the fact that, no matter who we are and what we do in life, we will all experience death. Your time is precious. Don’t waste it. Live well.”

 

In the show, six small skulls peer from gold-leaf-embellished insets and frames hand-built by the artist. Each portrait of death is surrounded by symbols that interpret the Latin phrase comprising their titles, phrases one might find on ancient tombs. Inspired by European cemeteries, Melcher has crafted these works much like antique placards, working in a style that is painterly yet precise, ornamental yet symbolic, and like all of her work, totally arresting.

 

The three centerpieces, on the other hand—“The Fool,” “Blow the Horn,” and “Beat the Drum”—underscore the resounding joy Melcher finds in the macabre. A skeletal court jester, with his bright red motley and gold glinted bells, vibrates against a dark, curtained ground. Alongside him, two ancient musicians, donned in white, ghostly robes and laurel wreath crowns, stand before romantic ruins, again referencing the historic canon of Memento Mori and the classical traditions that came before. Melcher’s figures seem to beckon us, not so much into the joys of some unpromised afterlife but rather, to enjoy this strange and beautiful dance before we are called to join them.

 

Michele Melcher (b. 1973) is based in Erwinna, Pennsylvania and received her BFA in Illustration from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. “I can’t imagine never making art,” Melcher tells us. “There’s a need to create that is so deeply ingrained in my soul that I don’t think I will ever stop.” Melcher began showing with Arch Enemy Arts in 2022, and MORS OMNIBUS is her second solo feature with the gallery.

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MORS OMNIBUS will be on view from September 19th - October 18th, 2026
Sold works will begin to ship the week starting October 25th, unless other rush shipping arrangements have been made. 

Items marked with a red dot have already been sold.

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