Prachtige rotdag / A Beautiful Lousy Day

Melissa Schriek & Melroy Bisel
12 May – 23 Jul 2023

Hama Gallery proudly presents Prachtige rotdag / A Beautiful Lousy Day, a duo exhibition with artists Melissa Schriek and Melroy Bisel (Lekkermenselijk). In this exhibition, both artists playfully explore the complex nature of human existence and its endless highs and lows.

Deeply moved by human stories, both artists draw inspiration from everyday life. What do people talk about? How do they move? What goes on in their minds? And how do they relate to each other? Melissa and Melroy do not shy away from the expressive potential of the everyday. This exhibition summarises the two artists’ reflections and ideas in print and on canvas and presents a world that stands between reality and fiction.

Melissa Schriek

Melissa Schriek’s photographs primarily portray women exploring their relationship to their environment, themselves and other people. The body is a major motif in Melissa’s work. In her photographs, she constantly seeks moments where emotions and messages are communicated through gestures. Melissa stages bodies exploring its surroundings or other bodies, in an unusual but not impossible way. Her last two major projects focused on the sculptural nature of human bodies and representation of the connection between female friends.

Melroy Bisel (Lekkermenselijk)

Lekkermenselijk initially began as an outlet for Melroy Bisel’s frustrations during the lockdowns and continues to be a project he enjoys conceptualizing. His drawings with text often consist of everyday experiences; people (and occasionally cats) thinking or talking, accompanied by text and sharp wordplay. Melroy prefers to work alone, keeping his thoughts and ideas to himself before sharing them with the world. Topics such as sex, relationships, politics and his advocacy of veganism are recurring themes in his work.