Burning Desk is a fulltime illustrator and independed publisher based in Rotterdam making works about life and humans. With a love for (visual) books and as an indie publisher under the name: Burning Desk Books, she is building an inclusive platform for artists from minority groups with a focus on makers of color who (want to) publish books. This to promote their works, give them a platform and share valuable information about the selfpublishing community. Burning Desks illustration works are inspired on sensitive and social subjects like; human behaviour/interaction, equality, climate change, mass production/consumption and animal cruelty. She is highly fascinated by how we as humans are affecting our surroundings and how this affects our earth, mental health and the way we treat eachother. Via her works Burning Desk tries to deal with and reflect on the things she doesn't agree with or understand. Her maingoals are to spread more awareness about the subjects above to start an open conversation, and to gain world peace ofcourse LOL.
How to be (more) eco-friendly as an illustrator - From june 2022 till march 2023 I researched how I can be more eco-friendly as an illustrator. I tried existing ways to make my own inks, pigments/paint, brushes, paper, markers, pencils, eraser, packaging and looked for new/alternative ways to do this. The whole research I documented on old scraps of paper which resulted in this visual manuscript/zine. I have a limited printed version of it that I sell only in person and via artshops. From june untill august 2023 I exhibitted the results of this projects and the original pages of the manuscript at Niffo Gallery in Rotterdam. This manuscript has been published on 27 April 2023 and the research was financial supported by Stimuleringsfonds.
Rouw in beeld / Grief visualized - Research spreads from my process during this project. From july 2022 untill april 2023 I researched how young adults deal with grief and loss after losing a loved one by death. This to create something meaningfull around this subject for young adults and the people around them to achieve more oppeness and understandment on how personal grief is. I interviewed 12 people from the targetgroup and spoke with many proffessionals and organizations who work with young adults in grieve. This 10 month long research resulted in a broad knowledge on this subject and a follow-up plan to work on in the second part of this project (which wil start in half of 2024). This project is financial supported by Stimuleringsfonds.
Rotterdam Artweek 2023 and PLAYroom Gallery Zaandam - During the Rotterdam Artweek in 2023 I was part of 2 exhibitions at the Wilhelminakade 701. For the exhibition organized by Werklicht foundation I had 7 of my paintings on display. I also made a small A5 painting for the 'About a woman' exhibition; 'Not too shabby for someone this great', where 30% of the sales would be donated to an organization who helps refugees in need. After the Rotterdam Artweek I was contacted by PLAYroom Gallery in Zaandam to be part of the group exhibition 'POP'. At PLAYroom my paintings and little clay sculptures were on display during the month April 2023.
Who’s my Sugar Daddy? - Research about my family name during the All You Can Art (AYCA) summer residency at the Kunsthal Rotterdam in 2021. This research I started to gain more knowledge about my family's background who were diaspora's from Inda and moved by the Dutch to Surinam (South America) to work on the sugar plantations there. Since I'm adopted I did not have much background information about my familes past so this project helped me to discover more about them.
Illustrations - Various illustrations by Burning Desk from 2018 to 2023.
Illustrations - Some of my illustration works from 2018 to 2023.
Unfair trade - Exhibition at Rijksmuseum Amsterdam july 2021 'Unfair trade'. The Rijksmuseum had a big exhibition about the Dutch slavery past, our group from AYCA was invited to add an artwork at the exhibition 'Look at me now' organized by IBB from Curacoa by founders Tirzo Marta and David Baden. I exhibitted my research 'Who's my Sugar Daddy' together with a sculpture from sugar and a sugarbag I painted on. Since my research ended on a deadtrack I thought this exhibition was a good oppertunity to ask the visitors of the museum to contact me if the had any more information about my familyname. The unfairtrade sculpture was my reflection on the whole exhibition at the Rijksmuseum about the Dutch colonial past, where the diaspora's from India were not presented at the exhibition. In my opinion an harmfull thing since the diaspora's were moved by the Dutch under false promises and had to work at the sugar plantations in Surinam under poor conditions (instead of the past slaves).
Burning Desk outlet, Kaapse Kunstroute & ‘LOL FUN’ street exhibition - After the AYCA summer in 2021 we had a group exhibition in august for a week at the Kunsthal Rotterdam. I had a Burning Desk outlet where the 3d works I made from my illustrations were on display. All the 3d works I made by illustrating on old packaging. During the weekend of september 16th 2021 I was part of the Kaapse Kunstroute in Katendrecht (Rotterdam). The whole weekend I live painted on a electric cabinet on the streets where I was asking people walking on by to share their experiences during the Corona lockdowns and the openings in between. All the stories and input I was told I combined in one big painting. The 'LOL FUN' illustration was selected by Boijmans van Beuningen to promote the opening of their new depot. Together with 49 other local artists works, my illustration was used for a street exhibition troughtout the city of Rotterdam. This exhibition took place from november 2021 untill april 2022 on display at Beurs and on Rotterdam Central station.
Illustrations - By: Burning Desk 2018 to 2023.
Illustrations - Some of my illustrations from 2018 to 2022.
