ARTIST RESIDENCY.
Meraki Spaces is home to a growing collective of resident artists — painters, photographers, designers, sculptors, musicians, and creative facilitators who hold studio space here or host ongoing gatherings within our community. Our resident artists are the heart of our ecosystem: they shape the culture, lead experiences, and inspire what is possible within these walls.
We currently have several artists in residence, each cultivating their craft, developing their body of work, and offering their gifts to the community through workshops, exhibitions, collaborations, and shared creative presence.
Our private studio spaces are currently full. For artists seeking to immerse themselves in the community, we offer an Artist-in-Residency Membership through our Core & Pro membership tiers— which includes opportunities to:
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Teach workshops and lead creative experiences
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Showcase work in exhibitions and member events
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Collaborate across disciplines
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Take an active role in shaping the culture of Meraki Spaces
Residency at Meraki is more than having a place to create — it is being part of a living creative ecosystem where your work, your voice, and your presence matter.
MEET
OUR
ARTISTS.
MELISSA MEDINA
Artist, Founder, Curator, Mentor.
Melissa Medina is an organic sculpture artist and the founder & ceo of Meraki Spaces and Meraki Art Institute, two creative ecosystems dedicated to helping artists feel resourced, represented, and at home in their craft.
Melissa's artwork blends Venetian plaster, crystals, shells, and sculptural texture to explore themes of embodiment, grief, rebirth, and returning to oneself.
Melissa built Meraki from the ground up — first as her personal studio practice, then as a community space, and now as a growing creative hub for artists to work, gather, learn, and lead. Within Meraki Spaces, she guides the vision, curates experiences, and cultivates an environment where authenticity, collaboration, and creative expansion can thrive.
Through Meraki Art Institute, she mentors artists in developing both their artistic identity and their business foundation, empowering them to build sustainable careers rooted in meaning and integrity.
Her role is equal parts artist, facilitator, and steward of community — holding the belief that when artists are supported, seen, and connected, their work has the power to transform not only themselves, but the world around them.
NADEEN ALI
Professional Artist & Yogi
Nadeen Ali is a San Diego–based artist and certified 500-hour yoga teacher with over a decade of experience. Known for her large-scale acrylic flows, custom nude series, and intentional commissions, she layers each canvas with hidden words and storytelling that transform it into a living narrative. Nadeen creates art and experiences that invite others to reclaim their power, embody self-love, and connect more deeply with themselves through creativity, movement, and love.
JACQUELINE VY LAN
Jacqueline Vy Lan is the founder of vy.lan atelier, a floral studio specializing in ikebana-inspired centerpieces, editorial styling, and private workshops. Blending Japanese floral philosophy with contemporary design, she aims to create restorative experiences through moments of beauty.
OLIVIA RAKOWSKI
Olivia Rakowski is a Los Angeles based multi-faceted artist and photographer devoted to capturing authenticity through timeless, intentional imagery that empowers. Through her creative production studio, LIGHT MVMNT, she photographs for brands, creative entrepreneurs, and artists of all mediums — blending a refined editorial eye with holistic storytelling. Her work moves beyond visuals, creating experiences that inspire connection, confidence, and creative expression.
CAMILA GUERRA
Camila is the designer, creator, and artist behind Buya — a handmade jewelry brand born in 2020 in Brazil and now based in San Diego at Meraki Spaces. Buya brings bold, boho-chic style through unique, handmade, custom, small-batch pieces crafted with natural gemstones — all designed to be meaningful, waterproof, and made to shine every day.
GUSTAVO J. CORREA
Gustavo J. Correa leads Respira Studios, a global design house specializing in fine art, graphic design, and philanthropy. His visual work flows across canvases with elegant, organic strokes, creating airy and transcendental compositions that balance the calm of meditation with the controlled chaos of dance and martial arts. A classically trained saxophonist, Gustavo channels his love of music into curating collaborative events, inviting artists across all mediums to co-create immersive, vibrant experiences. We invite you to help our philanthropic efforts!
CHRISTINE CLARK
Christine is the lead artist and owner of Perspective Art Studio, recognized for her high fashion inspired watercolor portraits that elevate weddings, corporate gatherings, and other celebrations. With attentive observation and a warm presence, she transforms live illustrations into an interactive experience. Her work captures each guest’s fashion, features, and essence, resulting in thoughtful hand painted keepsakes. Beyond her event work, Christine creates original acrylic commissions defined by satisfying color combinations, free flow brushstrokes, and bright, expressive energy. Each piece emerges from a collaborative process with her clients, bringing their vision to life through art.
FREDO GILLIS
Fredo Gillis is a Southern California–based oil painter creating sensual, cinematic portraits that explore rhythm, nostalgia, and desire. Blending realism and abstraction, he captures the tension between fantasy and reality through layered figures and texture. Influenced by movement, fashion, and pop culture, Fredo paints to build worlds that feel sexy, timeless, and electric — the kind of beauty that gives you goosebumps.
BRENDON JASSO
World Peace Art is a California based art studio turning creativity into real world impact. We craft thought provoking works rooted in political activism street art that reflect on life, love, capitalism, and our shared humanity. To the best of our knowledge, we are the only art studio that pledges 50% of our net income to fund community voted ‘World Peace Projects’, making every collector a stakeholder with voting rights. Buy art, build the future. To Learn More about our Mission visit: WorldPeaceArt.com @1worldpeaceart x @Brendonjassotalgia
KENDRA LEE
Kendra Lee is an earth-inspired mixed-media artist, working with paint, resin, sand, and crystals to create textural pieces that carry grounding energy and a deeper connection to self. Each piece infused with intention, inviting the viewer to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with the sacredness of the natural world.