"I feel that there is nothing more
truly artistic than to love people."
Vincent Van Gogh
Burnings was conceived as a labor of love. We believe in tenderness as strength and vulnerability as courage, that to put forth the most fraught & fractured pieces of ourselves into what we call art and put it into the world is what will heal it from itself. Burnings is a place for creative minds, soft hearts, and searching souls.
Mission
To publish quality creative works of artists from all over the world who are driven by passion and a love for the arts.
Vision
To add a little more love into the world, one artwork at a time.
We aim to:
-
Provide a platform for emerging and experienced artists alike to share their work
-
Circumscribe a space for Singaporean students to publish their creative pieces
-
Provide feedback and encouragement to artists to inspire them to pursue their artistic goals
Choo En Ting
Founder & Editor-in-chief
Choo En Ting is a writer based in Los Angeles, studying English Literature at the University of Southern California. He writes to quell the tempest within him and hopes that in doing so, the world will have a little more warmth and tenderness. Outside of reading & writing, he enjoys daydreaming and having meaningful conversations. He holds love & faith closest to his heart.
​
Favorite pieces: "Someday I'll Love Ocean Vuong" by Ocean Vuong, The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky
Quek Kay Hng
Fiction Editor
Kay Hng is a professional dilettante and amateur romantic. He likes big rocks, big lakes, and big hearts.
​
Favorite poem: "Howl" by Allen Ginsberg
Joshua Tan
Non-fiction Editor
Joshua Tan is a student at the National University of Singapore. He has a strong interest in learning about the financial markets, geopolitics, and corporate structures. In his free time, he enjoys taking walks, sitting at park benches, and traveling.
​
Favorite work: World Order by Henry Kissinger
Justin Lai
Creative Non-Fiction Editor
Hi, I’m Justin—a Philosophy, Politics, and Economics student in London, perpetually trying to comprehend this gloriously baffling world (with limited success). I’m a self-confessed dilettante, dipping my toes into philosophy, psychology and theology, hoping that this exploration will one day elevate me from amateur to something resembling informed. When I’m not lost in thought, you’ll find me sweating it out in the gym or preparing something in the kitchen.
​
Favorite piece: Pensées by Blaise Pascal
Saint John Vortimer Smith (left)
Ink & Canvas Editor
I'm Saint John (pronounced "sin jin")! I love drawing and it has been a passion of mine since I was a wee child. While I am currently studying Law in university, art and doodling is something that I cannot do without and still remains an important part of who I am. I hope you as the reader never stops pursuing your endeavours and never let your inner child die :)
Favorite artist: My idol is the late illustrator Kim Jung Gi. He was famous for his intricate and magical doodles. His ability to draw from his imagination without reference and sketching beforehand took him years of experience and pure talent, which is something I hope to capture (hopefully within my lifetime).
Tan Grace
Creative Director & Poetry Editor
Tan Grace is an aspiring writer/filmmaker currently studying animation art in Singapore's LASALLE College of the Arts. She finds great comfort and excitement in stories, and her mediums of expression include writing, photography and filmmaking. She is deeply charmed by the intersection of different disciplines, and has big dreams that tend to scare her a little. Though often buried under piles of assignments and her own busy mind, she finds rejuvenation in the little joys that each day brings, and in lots of ice cream too. Above all, it is a steadfast Hope that guides her and keeps her burning.​
​
Favorite:
Animated works—Fantasia by Disney, Fantastic Planet by René Laloux.
Written/illustrated works—A Lover's Discourse: Fragments by Roland Barthes, The Calvin & Hobbes series by Bill Watterson
Ranen Tan
Fiction Editor
Ranen Tan is an undergraduate student of English Literature at the National University of Singapore and holder of the Ministry of Education (MOE) Teaching Scholarship. He nurtures his natural gifting in communication and writing against a discipline of detail. In his free time, he volunteers at his local church and is intentional about bettering those around him through care and encouragement. He also loves his family dearly and tries to be the best influence he can to his three younger brothers.
​
Favorite works: Book of Ecclesiastes, Carlyle's Sartor Resartus, Pope's An Essay on Man
Koh Zhi-Xuan
Non-fiction Editor
Hi there! I am Zhi-Xuan, a finalist reading History and Politics at the University of Oxford. As a university student, I enjoy reading international military and political history, and am interested in both qualitative and quantitative approaches to sociopolitical analysis. In my free time, I enjoy combining my intellectual interest in History with travelling; cooking food that reminds me of home; and long-distance running (partly to remedy the effects of my second listed passion).
Favorite works: Modern History: The Four Ages Series by Eric Hobsbawm, Why I am not a Conservative by Friedrich Hayek
Ed Menzmer
Multimedia Editor
Ed Menzmer is a current student at the University of Southern California studying film and television production. He is an easy-going guy who loves life and lives it one day at a time. He spends his time trying to balance his copious amounts of hobbies with his personal life and school. Apart from being a cinefile, movie buff, film junkie, etc., Ed is also an aspiring filmmaker who hopes to one day hold a position (specifics are uncertain) in the industry doing what he loves to share his stories with the world and bring everyone a little closer together. His faith and love of the Lord are what keep him going.
Favorite:
Literature—Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Movie—The Grand Budapest Hotel by Wes Anderson
Joy Liu
Ink & Canvas Editor
Hello I'm Joy, a penultimate student at the National University of Singapore. Art has always been one of my great loves, even if my current major has nothing to do with it. I took art as a subject back in Junior College, and my favorite mediums are oil painting and watercolor— Art, to me, feels like creating little pockets of imaginary spaces.
​
Favorite artist: I would say that my favorite artist is Salvador Dali because I especially enjoy the surrealism movement.