Early Life and Artistic Training

Mirjam Bürer enters the world in 1959 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch landscape and its shifting boundaries form the backdrop of her early years. By 1984, she moves into formal training at the Visual Art Academy HKU. Her focus sharpens through her time at Contemporary Arts in Utrecht, Netherlands, where the foundations of her visual language begin to take shape.

The trajectory of her career shifts toward education and long-term mentorship. From 1987 to 2018, she holds a position at the School of Fine Arts and Design | ST-Joost in Breda, Netherlands. For over three decades, she navigates the space between practicing her own art and guiding others through the complexities of design and fine arts. This period of teaching defines much of her professional life, anchoring her presence within the Dutch artistic community.

Technique and Artistic Style

Layering defines the visual structure of her work. She describes this process through the metaphor of spekkoek, the Indonesian layer cake, where interchanging baked layers of white and brown cake mirror her own approach to composition. This technique allows her to explore the tension between diversity and unity, capturing the richness of nature alongside the cultural distinctions between the Netherlands and other regions. The resulting imagery functions as a series of accumulated impressions, where one layer rests upon another to build a complex worldview.

Her practice often shifts from the two-dimensional to the spatial. She maintains a deep affinity for specific environments, treating rooms, gardens, or even the interior of a bag as containers for artistic expression. This spatial awareness extends into her botanical investigations. She frequently uses sketches of grass species encountered in her immediate surroundings, translating the fleeting details of the landscape into formal studies. These observations bridge the gap between the wildness of the natural world and the controlled environment of the studio.

Materiality takes a striking turn in her installations. She has constructed works using black rice to form a carpet, upon which she places broccoli that has been waxed to achieve a fluorescent yellow and black appearance. These organic elements are transformed into sculptural objects that challenge the viewer's perception of the natural state. Her work remains grounded in the physical reality of the specimens she uses, whether through the texture of a seed or the specific hue of a plant.

Exhibitions and International Activity

The work moves between the landscapes of the Netherlands and Southeast Asia. In 2007, the focus shifts to Indonesia with the exhibition Gross National Happiness at Erasmus Huis in Jakarta. This international presence continues through 2014 at the Biënnale Art Jog 14 in Yogyakarta. These engagements highlight a recurring dialogue between Dutch perspectives and Indonesian environments.

The year 2009 marks a significant moment at the Centraal Museum in Utrecht with the exhibition Beyond the Dutch. This period of activity extends into Germany. In 2019, a residency at the Pilotenkueche International Art Program in Leipzig facilitates new developments. The residency leads to two distinct exhibitions in the same city: Overwhelmed Incorporeal Happiness at Pilotenkueche and Reset Unsettling Flesh Layers at Alte Handelsschule.

• Untitled (about 1988) - Centraal Museum, Utrecht

Publications and Research Projects

The intersection of biology and art defines much of her investigative output. In 2002, she participated in the UN conference on biodiversity, COP6, held in The Hague. This engagement with ecological discourse informs her later collaborative efforts. By 2009, this research culminated in the publication of the book Local = Global. This project was not a solitary endeavor; it involved a collaboration with biology scientists and the University museum. The work explores the complexities of biotechnology and biodiversity, inviting a dialogue between advocates and opponents of industrial agricultural practices.

Her written work often mirrors the layered complexity found in her visual installations. In 1996, she published Landscape without Horizon. This earlier publication established a precedent for using text to frame her observations of the natural world. Her research continues to bridge the gap between scientific observation and artistic expression, often focusing on the vital importance of original seeds and the impact of climate change on local ecosystems.

Where to See the Works Today

Mirjam Bürer’s presence in institutional collections spans from the Netherlands to the United States. In the Netherlands, her work resides within the Centraal Museum in Utrecht, where several pieces are held. The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam also maintains works in its collection. Local governance and regional bodies further preserve her output, with pieces held by the Gemeente Utrecht and the Provincie Utrecht.

The reach of her practice extends beyond Dutch borders. In New York, the Dia Center for Art holds her work. Private and corporate collections also maintain her pieces, including those held by ABN Nederland. These various locations mark the physical footprint of her investigations into nature and space.