Charles Burki Explained

Charles Burki (1909–1994) was a Dutch illustrator and motorcycle enthusiast, born and raised in colonial Indonesia (the Dutch East Indies) and educated at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris. He worked extensively for DAF trucks, Shell, Philips, KLM, Goodyear, and for such magazines as Motor, Moto Revue, Sport in Beeld.^[1] During WWII, Burki was interned in a Japanese POW camp and managed to record the experience. The drawings were subsequently published in his book Behind Barbed Wire (Dutch; Flemish: Achter de Kawat).^[2] Burki returned to the Netherlands in 1945 and lived in the Hague until his death in 1994. His work has been commemorated in exhibitions,^[3] postcards,^[4] and postal stamps.^[5]

Further reading

• Krell, A. (2002). The devil's rope: a cultural history of barbed wire. London: Reaktion Books. pp. 94-100.
• Denters, V. (1997). Charles Burki: de kunst van het motorrijden. Bussum: Thoth.

Notes and References

1. Web site: d'Orléans . Paul . May 4, 2020 . Charles Burki: Streamliners . The Vintagent.
2. Book: Burki, Charles . Achter de kawat : als Japans krijgsgevangene . Buijten & Schipperheijn . 1979 . 9061352959 . Amsterdam .
3. Web site: CHARLES BURKI (1909-1994) . 28 September 2023 . Kunsthal Rotterdam.
4. Web site: Search results for: 'Charles Burki (1909-1994)'. www.artunlimitedshop.co.uk.
5. Web site: Stamp 2010, Netherlands - Personal stamps TNT/PNL Charles Burki 3 booklets, 2010 . PostBeeld stamp shop Haarlem.