Kara walker artist biography death

In , her work appeared in a new-talent show at the Drawing Center in New York and she became an instant hit. In , she received a John D. MacArthur Foundation "genius grant.

Kara walker children

Walker was born in Stockton, California, on November 26, Raised by a father who worked as a painter, Walker knew by age 3 that she wanted to become an artist as well. Initially dreaming of creating fine art, Walker's ambitions changed as she grew older; she began experimenting with various avant-garde styles, creating pieces in order to tell a story or make a statement rather than achieve beauty or perfection.

At a young age, Walker moved with her family to Atlanta, Georgia, where she would spend the rest of her childhood and later attend the Atlanta College of Art. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting and printmaking from the school in Three years later, in , she received a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting and printmaking from the Rhode Island School of Design, located in Providence.

The mural launched Walker's career, also making her one of the leading artistic voices on the subject of race and racism. According to one TIME magazine article: "[Walker] raucously engages both the broad sweep of the big picture and the eloquence of the telling detail.