Kara Walker
American artist known for cut-paper silhouettes exploring race and history.
Last updated
Kara Walker served as the official US representative at the 25th Sao Paulo Biennale in 2002, which featured her art: black paper tableaux on themes of slavery and antebellum plantation life. The exhibition was organized by IA&A and curated by Dr. Robert Hobbs, who wrote a book about the exhibit which was published under IA&A's design studio.
Lore & Background
Walker's work Slavery! Slavery! was presented at the 25th Sao Paulo Biennale in 2002, where she served as the official US representative.
The exhibition was organized by International Arts & Artists and curated by Dr. Robert Hobbs. Hobbs wrote a book about the exhibit, which was published under IA&A's design studio. The work consists of black paper tableaux on themes of slavery and antebellum plantation life.
Reader's Guide
Walker's exhibition at the 25th Sao Paulo Biennale in 2002 featured her signature black paper tableaux. The exhibition was organized by IA&A and curated by Dr. Robert Hobbs, who authored a book about the exhibit published by IA&A's design studio. This presentation highlighted Walker's ongoing exploration of slavery and antebellum plantation life through her cut-paper silhouettes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kara Walker?
Kara Walker is an American contemporary artist born in 1969 in Stockton, California, who works across painting, printmaking, sculpture, installation, and film. She holds a professorship at Rutgers University and is widely regarded as one of the most significant Black artists of her generation.
What is Kara Walker's signature medium?
Her most recognized work consists of large-scale, room-filling installations built from black cut-paper silhouettes set against a contrasting background. These tableaux function almost like narrative scenes, borrowing the visual language of 19th-century silhouette portraiture.
What major honors has Kara Walker received?
She was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 1997 and later received the Tepper Chair in Visual Arts at Rutgers University in 2015. These recognitions underscore her standing as a leading voice in contemporary art.
More in Modernist & Contemporary Pioneers
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Kara Walker (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced