Rosa van Burik

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Naked on the catwalk

These series of works explore how animal bodies are used in human industry, turned into materials, and made nearly invisible in systems of production. The tapestries, with crocheted rabbit and pig ears, connect to both domestic craft and industrial farming: two spaces where animals are either idealised or reduced to mere commodities. By using sheep's wool, a material associated with comfort and tradition, I weave these meanings into my work to emphasize the uneasy balance between care and consumption, softness and violence. The suspended, one-day-old gassed chicks & lamb legs, set within wooden headboards, bring attention to the harsh efficiency of agricultural systems that measure life by its usefulness. Framed within objects inspired by hunting culture, these tiny bodies become unsettling remains, quiet reminders of the hidden violence within everyday objects.The fur-covered, worm-like form and the human-hair mask further question the line between human and non-human bodies. The hybrid creature, stitched from animal fur and baby cowhide, exists in a strange in-between state, as if reshaped by giving it a new kind of body. Meanwhile, the mask, a symbol of protection, instead forces direct contact with human hair, indicating humans can stop hiding behind the systems of production, to validate their own actions of consumption. By repurposing these organic remains, my work asks how deeply we are tied to the bodies of others: how we wear, consume, and live among the traces of beings reduced to function. In doing so, I hope to reveal the unseen violences of industry and challenge the ethics of human-animal entanglement.

Earthbound

The insect clay sculptures respond to the rapid decline of insect populations in the Anthropocene, driven by pesticide use, deforestation, and the human impulse to control nature through manicured lawns. This loss extends beyond insects, disrupting ecosystems and threatening bird populations that rely on them for food. Inspired by the diverse lifestyles of insects, I shaped each piece with attention to their natural behaviors, particularly their attraction to bright, reflective surfaces. Designed to be placed in gardens, these sculptures slowly break down, merging with the earth and providing shelter, inviting insects and other small creatures to inhabit them. In this way, they serve as both a tribute to what is disappearing and a quiet act of restoration.

In the video down below you can find a reading of my book that dives deeper into my personal visions of all to do with the surrounding everyday world and how it inspired me in the months while working on these works!

The Garden of Roots

I created this book as a way to reflect on my own process of making and how it extends beyond my artistic practice and into the act of giving. For a long time, creating for the people I love has been a personal language, a way to document not just their interests but also the connections we share. Each piece made for someone carries a history of care, an intimate exchange where objects become markers of relationship and memory. Through this project, I wanted to explore that instinct more intentionally, considering how making can serve as both a personal and relational act. At the same time, this book became a way to embrace my designer side, thinking about form, function, and how ideas can be shaped into something tangible. It is both a reflection and an offering: a collection of moments, inspirations, and the significance of creating for others.

Dimensions
the book: 18 x 20 cm