Ode is a photography series that celebrates the depth and complexity of female friendship. In this project, Melissa Schriek explored the dynamics between pairs of best friends, capturing what their connection looks like through intimate images. Her goal was to create a visual tribute to sisterhood—an ode to the strength, resilience, and warmth shared between women.

Melissa has long been inspired by the power of female togetherness, a force she has both witnessed and experienced throughout her life. She was particularly struck by how media often portrays female friendship as toxic, dramatic, or competitive—or ignores it entirely. Ode seeks to counter these narratives by offering an honest, nuanced perspective on friendship, showcasing moments of tenderness, quirkiness, and vulnerability.

Through her photographs, Melissa tries captures the essence of female friendship, highlighting the beauty of shared experiences while staying true to the imperfections and authenticity that define real relationships. Her work reveals the profound importance of female bonds, offering a visual document that reframes how we see and value these connections.

'The City is a Choreography' was photographed between 2017 and 2020 in various cities around the world. An exploration that started with the urge to step out of my everyday life in the city. I felt the need to experience the urban environment, with both eyes and body, instead of merely perceiving it. I wanted to figure out how to connect meaningfully with our daily environment and the strangers we pass by. It was the boredom of walking the same route every day, seeing the same objects and the anonymous faces in the crowd, that made me start to see the city as a choreography.