Philia (friendship in Greek) is a photographic series that explores female and non-binary friendships.

These relationships have always been, for me, a refuge of shared experiences and mutual understanding. I show my interpretation by creating an atmosphere suspended between the real and the unreal. This project also emerged from a frustration with the misogynistic representations of these relationships.

For centuries, friend circles without men have often been reduced to rivalry and gossip. I therefore aim to celebrate the beauty and strength of female and non-binary friendships, far from all clichés.

Drawing inspiration from surrealist techniques such as solarisation, I experimented with image overlays, textures, and light effects in black and white. The paintings of Hélène Schjerfbeck, particularly Sisters, also influenced me through their depiction of almost ghostly female figures. I seek to create a psychological and timeless space. The personal relationship with, and between, the models, who are my friends, is essential to this project so that the images convey an emotional bond.

Philia is both an intimate work and a reflection on friendship as a space of emancipation. Through a symbolic approach, I create a liminal space that pays tribute to these precious connections.