Kara Walker (b. 1969) is among the most important artists in the United States. In December 2019 she was named Artist of the Year by the international art platform Artsy.net. Walker addresses with technical and aesthetic virtuosity the themes that shape today’s social discourse: racism, gender, sexuality and violence. A prominent example is her monumental fountain of figures, with which she activated the prestigious Turbine Hall of Tate Modern in London in 2019/2020. The baroque-looking fountain acts as a kind of counter-monument and recalls Britain’s inglorious colonial history. In 2021 the Kunstmuseum Basel presented the first major solo exhibition of Walker’s work in Switzerland. For the first time ever, the artist showed over 600 drawings that she had kept under wraps in her studio for 28 years—alongside brand-new works.
Source: Kunstmuseum Basel | Sponsoring dossier for the Kara Walker exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Basel, 5 June–26 September 2021
Image: Photograph by Ari Marcopoulos | Sikkema Jenkins & Co
Untitled, no date, Cut paper, 25.75 x 19 inches (65.4 x 48.3 cm), Signed on verso KW 18556
