Melissa Mabesoone is an artist, actor and director. Through performance, text, video and film, she channels humorous, imaginative and critical realities. Her work has been shown at Sale Docks, M HKA, Verbeke Foundation, OT301, de Brakke Grond and published in the Witte Raaf and nY magazine. Her first short fiction film premiered at the Ostend Film Festival and was shown at the Blue Water Film Festival (California) and Sprouts Film Festival (Amsterdam).

Melissa worked as a performer for Lies Pauwels and NTGent, Peter Aers, Dora Garcia, Davis Freeman and acted in films by Assaf Gruber, Veerle Dewilde, Sven Spur and television series Under Fire and Juliet.

From 2018 - 2023 she was a core member of Engagement Arts.

Melissa has a drag alter ego called Debutante K.I.N.G.

Since 2012, Melissa collaborates with Oshin Albrecht as ‘buren’. In their multidisciplinary work, they navigate ideas about community, gender roles, (art) history and neoliberal fantasies. Their work has a strong visual and musical drive and is shown in theatres, galleries, museums, discursive spaces in Belgium and abroad such as Z33, Centrale Fies, Teatro Nacional D.Maria II, Szene Salzburg, Maison de la culture Amiens, Boulevard, Tatjana Pieters, TAZ, Pukkelpop. Their work is supported by STUK, Viernulvier, BUDA, workspacebrussels, KAAP, among others. buren did a postgraduate at HISK, their work was published by Posture Editions and het balanseer and they were part of the European performance network Apap Feminist Futures. buren is currently artist-in-residence at Kaaitheater in Brussels.

June 2025, buren premiered their new performance shoe/farm - a family business during Almost Summer at Kunstencentrum Buda. The piece will continue touring from September onwards.