Contents
Kara Walker
The artist whose cut-paper silhouettes confront slavery, racial violence and historical myth.
Gone · A Subtlety
- Born
- 26 November 1969
- Birthplace
- United States
More people
Kara Walker
Kara Walker uses apparently elegant forms to reveal disturbing histories. Her work spans silhouettes, film and monumental installations.
Early life
California to Georgia
Moved from Stockton to the Atlanta area as a teenager.
Art training
Studied at Atlanta College of Art and Rhode Island School of Design.
Career
- 1994
Silhouette breakthrough
Presented a major cut-paper tableau in New York.
- 1997
MacArthur Fellowship
Received early recognition for her work.
- 2010s
Large installations
Expanded into major public-scale projects.
Selected work
Gone
A silhouette tableau confronting the mythology of the antebellum South.
A Subtlety
A sugar-coated monumental figure installed in a former refinery.
Fons Americanus
A fountain at Tate Modern addressing empire and slavery.
Beyond work
Teaching
Held university teaching positions, including at Rutgers.
Drawing
Maintained an extensive drawing practice alongside installations.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Museum of Modern Art — artistic career ↗Photo: studio international. CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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