Melissa Schriek

Photographer

A 26 year old photographer, recently graduated at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. When I was a child, I wanted to be a detective so I could satisfy the enormous curiosity I carried for the world and people around me. Instead of becoming a detective, I began making use of the camera to investigate. I still carry this curiousity with me when I make work and this often results in noticing simple, small details, that may seem unimportant. This sensitivity for small, intimate details are vital for my practice and by emphasizing, I hope the viewer will notice and become aware of them too. I explore relationships between individuals and their environment through both observation and staging. My work is often created with a performative approach, aesthetically and conceptually exploring the border between staged and documentary photography. I perceive the camera as a powerful tool where fact and fiction can work together to explore modern, social issues. Ultimately I would like my work to raise questions and about how we relate to one another and our personal environment.