A common subject across Walker’s work is visibility and erasure. In her Vanishing Point series, she spotlights Black figures relegated to the margins, corners, and backgrounds of well-known paintings, while her Turner Prize commission, Burden of Proof, powerfully memorialises those affected by the Windrush Scandal on a monumental scale, with portraits drawn directly onto the walls of the gallery.
In the following conversation, Barbara Walker reflects on her ongoing passion for both painting and drawing, the personal impact of witnessing her son face repeated discrimination through stop-and-search encounters with the police, and the catharsis of creating art that addresses these injustices.
Alayo Akinkugbe: Your solo exhibition at the Whitworth is called Being Here. Where does this title come from?
Barbara Walker: My titles are very simple; they’re two or three words, straight to the point. I try not to make them pretentious and to keep them quite accessible. The idea of the title, Being Here extends from deep engagement with the themes of presence, identity and place. It’s an exploration of what it means to exist in a specific time and space, both physically and mentally. It’s also about me stamping my authority. It’s about me being here. I’m making a strong statement.
Image: Barbara Walker, Pride, 2002
© Barbara Walker
All Rights Reserved, DACS/Artimage, 2024
