One last Look at Kevin Burgemeestre Unmasked

Bidding reserve: HIGHEST BID SO FAR $450

This is the Astonishingly Talented Kevin Burgemeestre

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This is the mask Kevin made.

Title: The Messenger.

This is what it looked like before he worked his art magic on it.

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Kevin on mask Making for the Red Queen

“I was delighted to be approached by Isobelle Carmody to create a mask for the launch events surrounding her final book in her much loved Obernewtyn Chronicles series. Anything Isobelle commits to is undertaken with absolute application and focus so I knew this project would be an adventure. In my mind the project also paid tribute to one of her life works and I knew the sale of the masks would raise money to benefit two major charities that reflect principal concerns raised in series.

“Isobelle’s famous cycle of books have spanned decades, travelled the world and created a myriad of devoted followers who have seemingly been both delighted and pissed off in equal measure. They were delighted by the sweeping fantasy tale that gripped them and dragged them along, and then pissed off because the closing book in the cycle took 25 years to arrive! As a testament to the quality of the tale and their devotion to Elspeth the lead character, the majority of fans have stayed loyal and have recently rushed to get their hands on the much-awaited closing volume The Red Queen.

“It all sounded great so I jumped on board.”

Making the Mask.

“After receiving the brief from Isobelle the sketches I made reflect two main themes, the main one being the idea of animal messengers interacting with humans, and the second the idea of the birds representing our thoughts, unfolding from our minds and extending out into space, just as Isobelle’s intricate tale emerged from her fertile imagination and moved out into the world.

“Beastspeaking is one of the mutations in the book, and to underline this connection with the animal realm, the wings of the large, central bird emerge from the eyebrows of the mask connecting the wings to both the human and the creature world. In tried this concept out with cut paper pieces taped onto the mask. This cut paper preliminaries allowed me to refine this thought and experiment with the scale and placement of the various items.

“In order to create intrigue I distorted the perspective in the mask as though we view the scene through a wide angle lens. Everything on the left smaller in scale, and everything on the right is enlarged as though it is being pushed towards us. I use this ploy to heighten the sense of disorientation and drama.

“I sculpted the characters on the mask with Paper Magic clay over a wire armature. This allowed me to work on a robust frame and yet create a see-through effect as though the creatures were just partially formed, and yet to be finished (perhaps a nod to the formation of the final text). The layers of thin, wispy clay give the impression of overlapping feathers and create a magical, ephemeral feel.

“The red crown on the central bird symbolises the title of the book, and the departing feather represents damage and loss.

“I congratulate Isobelle on this remarkable cycle of books and was glad to be a part of celebrating the important final book. I enjoyed working on the mask and I’m very proud of the result. I’m amazed at how compelling the product of our imaginations can be and as an artist it’s rewarding to be able to think about the best way to convincingly represent these worlds.

“In closing urge readers to commit to the charities that Isobelle has nominated, the tragically tormented moon bears that are captured and are cruelly caged to harvest their bile and the children who have experienced the devastation of war and natural disaster. It’s great to see works from an imaginary realm being able to support those in need in our actual world.”

About Kevin Burgemeestre

Kevin is an artist and illustrator with more than 25 years experience.

Born in Perth to Dutch migrant parents whose family had lived in Indonesia for generations, he studied Art and Design in Melbourne at RMIT, then completed a Diploma of Illustration at the Gerrit Rietveld Acadamie in Holland.

Kevin illustrates using a variety of techniques, including pen and ink, watercolour, acrylic, collage and found-object sculpture. He has had a career-long commitment to using recycled materials in his work, and has striven to find the beauty in the crushed and discarded.

Apart from his varied illustration work, Kevin lectures tertiary students in illustration, visits primary and secondary schools and libraries, giving workshops. He exhibits his work in solo and group exhibitions, and is even an after dinner or before breakfast speaker. Based in Melbourne Australia, he is renowned for his enthusiastic, informative and humorous approach to workshops with children and adults.

I have known Kevin for a long time – the world of Children’s Literature in Australia is warm and supporting and we are all pretty close, and meet up often on the festival or talk circuit. I have known him mostly as an illustrator, but he is also a novelist, having released his first novel, Kate. Like all of the other illustrators and artists who have taken part in this huge project, he cares about the world and all the creatures in it, including humans.