Education

1998 -  2004:

Radboud University Nijmegen              

M.A. Cultural Anthropology, specialization Pacific Studies

Thesis: ‘Painting Authenticity’ – Aboriginal art and knowledge in an intercultural space (Warmun, Western Australia)

Topics in thesis: museum representation, culture making through art, local knowledge, indigenous education, art and globalization.

Relevant advanced seminars: 

‘Identity and ethnicity in the Pacific’, with a main focus on identity constructions through art.  Paper and presentation on the representation of culture in museums.

‘Anthropology of Law’, including issues such as intellectual property.

‘Ethnography and representation’, ethnographical representation in a historical perspective and postmodern issues.

'Ethnicity and education'

Academic experience

Sept. 2002 – Jan. 2003:

Fieldwork research (participant observation) in Warmun Aboriginal Community, Western Australia.

Jan. 2003:

Participation in symposium ‘True stories, art of the East Kimberley’ at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.

Jan. 2003:

Archival and library research at AIATSIS and National Library in Canberra (the latter also purchased my thesis).

Dec. 2003:

Presentation of my research at the WDO symposium Facing Fieldwork: Challenges for Anthropology in a Globalizing World (Leiden).

June 2004:

Presentation of my research at Nijmeegs Museum of Ethnology (Nijmegen)

1998 – 2003:

Editor of Cultus, magazine for anthropology students.

Contribution of anthropological articles

Non-Academic experience

April 2006 - July 2006

Voluntary work at Kayili Artists, Patjarr, Gibson Desert, W.A.

Patjarr is a tiny, extremely remote Aboriginal community in the Gibson Desert.

My work consisted of developing a new website for the art centre (www.kayili.com.au), preparing the boards for the artists, helping them out, transcribing stories, and other general art centre work. 

November 2004 - August 2005:

Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht

Recording works of art and updating the museum’s database (working with Adlib); translating texts about the artworks from English into Dutch. Part of the job also consisted of working in the museum’s depot and writing descriptions of objects.

May 2005:

Organizing lectures and workshops for a Native Canadian (Cree) artist to inform the Dutch public about Cree culture.

Sept. 2002 - Jan. 2003

Volunteering at Warmun Art Centre, Warmun, Western Australia.

Taking care of needs of artists, transcribing artworks' stories, preparing paintings for transport, welcoming visitors.