ARTIST STATEMENT
My creative practice percolates between painting and drawing to eruptive movement, medium-based performances, and exploring video and sound art. Drawn to create sincere works that materialize the unseen from within, my work conveys the human condition from a feminist aesthetic through processing and realizing the notion of self by expressively portraying trauma, courage, oppression, mythology, freedom and pleasure. My work often begins from a biographical point of view and is ignited by a spark of internal chaos that seeks order through the process of creation; in so, I find a place to make sense of the patterns relating to identity, philosophy and social constructs.
I am interested in how our society uses language, how stories have been passed on and how specific narratives are continuing centuries on (for example, Medusa). “Her-story” has often been projected onto us, rather than allowed to be told by us. I invited women from different parts of the world to share their stories about growing up as a girl, being a woman, stories of trauma and or triumph, freedom, and to share the knowledge that they wish to pass on. The process of recording their stories was to give the women who are speaking a space that was uninterrupted and without judgement. Their voices create a language that can be heard in the recording as both articulated and visceral experiences.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Nara Walker’s commendations include Highly Commended Artist in the ‘Paul Guest Prize’ (2022), Bendigo Gallery, Australia. Her creative abilities have been praised since the beginning of her career, critiqued by Rex Butler in ‘The Emerging Issue, Art Monthly Australia’ (2013) and as a finalist in the ‘Ruth Borchard Self Portrait Prize’ (2015, UK). Furthermore, Walker’s work has been exhibited in galleries, including the renowned ‘Woman Made Gallery’ (2018, USA). In addition, Walker’s work is a part of public collections, including ‘The National Parliament Library of Tbilisi’ (Georgia), ‘Uluslararasi Cocuk Universitesi’ (Turkey), ‘Mine Sanat Galerisi’ (Turkey) and ‘Gallery City Museum of Aveiro’ (Portugal).
Seeking body autonomy as a female artist, Walker is inspired to move in front of audiences. Her debut appearance as a performance artist was at the ‘Venice Biennale’ (2015) with her solo ‘Hair Pull’; she performed a second time in the official programme at ‘Venice Art House’ with the work ‘Energy String’. ‘Beauty Amongst Chaos’ was captured on the Turkish paper ‘Milliyet’ front page for her (2016) solo show at Mine Sanat Gallerisi.
As an Alumna of Griffith University, Walker holds a BFA Honours (2013); she has completed extensive artist residency programs across Europe, the UK, Iceland, and Georgia. Walker actively works on creating platforms for change; she is the founder of the conference ‘No Woman Alone’ and co-founder of the ‘RVK Feminist Film Festival’. Additionally, Walker sued the Icelandic state under the Istanbul Convention – combating gender-based violence – at the European Court of Human Rights.
© Nara Vulvgang Walker