Christian Burnham

I was born in Eastbourne, England, in 1973, and my upbringing was shaped by a mix of cultures and experiences. My father, a civil engineer, and my Finnish mother, moved our family to South Africa during the 1970s. Later, we relocated to Sweden and Belgium, which allowed me to become multilingual, speaking four languages by the age of twenty. These diverse cultural exposures vastly influenced my worldview.

From an early age, I had a talent for off-road racing. In 1991, I made the bold decision to move to Belgium to pursue a professional motocross career. Over the next fifteen years, I competed at the highest level, racing for British, Italian and German teams, winning the German national championship several times, and regularly finishing in the top five of Motocross World Championship races. My career took me around the globe, immersing me in diverse cultures and enriching my life experiences. To this day, these experiences profoundly influence my artistic expression.

Retiring from motocross was a difficult transition. The void left by my racing career led to a loss of purpose, and challenges I had never faced before. I descended into severe alcohol addiction, which profoundly impacted my life. However, during rehabilitation, I rediscovered my passion for art that I had as a young teenager. This passion gave me the strength to explore and regenerate my creative conscience, marking the beginning of a transformative recovery journey.

Art became a lifeline and a new purpose for me. Entirely self-taught, I channelled my energy into creating increasingly complex pieces, using spray paint and stencils as my primary mediums. My artwork blends contemporary art, graffiti, and photorealistic images, forming a unique style that's starting to resonate with collectors worldwide. Much of my inspiration stems from my recovery journey and the emotional depths I experienced along the way.