Kara Walker
1969-present · American (Stockton, California/New York) · Contemporary Art
Known for: Silhouette installations confronting slavery, racism, and sexual violence in American history
Walker burst onto the art scene at 27 with room-sized black paper silhouettes depicting slavery's horrors with fairytale-like beauty. She was attacked by older Black artists for reproducing degrading stereotypes. She defended her right to explore racial trauma fully.
Her sugar sphinx A Subtlety at the Domino factory was a landmark. She was the second-youngest MacArthur Fellow.
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