Step into the world of Kara Walker, an acclaimed American artist best known for her innovative use of large-scale silhouette cutouts. She creates powerful and provocative artwork across various media, such as drawings, prints, sculptures, and film. Her confrontational style focuses on the uncomfortable truths surrounding the lasting impact of slavery, racism, sexism, and other inequalities.
Her work has been showcased in numerous museums and galleries, including the Tate Modern in London, the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Weisman Art Museum, the Menil Collection, and the Muscarelle Museum of Art.
Kara Walker’s art has sparked controversy for its provocative and confrontational approach to race, gender, and power. Some critics have accused her of perpetuating stereotypes and exploiting painful histories. Others argue that her work encourages conversations about uncomfortable truths.
Kara Walker: Cut to the Quick
The exhibition Kara Walker: Cut to the Quick will be showcased at the Virginia MOCA beginning March 9th through June 11th, 2023. Admission, generously funded by the Goode Family Foundation, is free, but tickets are required.
Bringing together a collection of more than 80 pieces, dating from 1994 to 2019, Kara Walker: Cut to the Quick exclusively features artwork from the collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation– known for their impressive collection of artwork by contemporary Black, Indigenous, and artists of color.
“Kara Walker is one of the most important artists of our time—from the simple cutouts, like frontier homes had on each side of their fireplaces, to the intricate figurines and videos, Kara Walker’s art forces us to deal with issues of racism, stereotypes, and gender inequality,” Schnitzer told Virginia MOCA.
Complementary Exhibitions
Alongside Cut to the Quick, the exhibition will be accompanied by LaToya M. Hobbs: Flourish. Baltimore-based artist LaToya M. Hobbs uses textured woodcut panels infused with themes related to womanhood, motherhood, and legacy, that pay tribute to the women of her community.
Virginia MOCA will also showcase the work of three talented artists, Amber Pierce, Poetry Jackson, and Nadd Harvin, through a collective exhibition titled Atrium Artists in Residence, which supports and provides a platform for artists in the region.
“With the presentation of the art of Kara Walker, Virginia MOCA strives to give our community space to make connections—past and present, abstract and concrete connections that can serve to expand our view of both human suffering and human capability,” says Virginia MOCA site curator Heather Hakimzadeh.
This article Virginia MOCA Presents Thought-Provoking Work of Kara Walker originally appeared on Wander With Alex. Featured Image Credit: Exodus of Confederates from Atlanta (Kara Walker)
Alexandrea Sumuel is a travel writer and the founder of Wander With Alex, where she provides vacationers and travel enthusiasts with trip ideas, travel guides, news, and itineraries. She travels to experience, eat, and explore-- and, on occasion, escape! Alex’s mission is to help people travel a little easier.