Caroline Walker (artist)

Caroline Walker
Born1982 (age 43–44)
Dunfermline
Alma materGlasgow School of Art
Royal College of Art
MovementFeminist Art Movement

Caroline Walker (born 1982) is a Scottish-born contemporary visual artist based in London. She is known for voyeuristic paintings of women working.[1][2][3]

Walker was born in Dunfermline.[4]

Education

Walker obtained a bachelor's degree in painting from Glasgow School of Art. She earned her master's degree from Royal College of Art in London.[5]

Work

Walker used to imagine scenes and hire models to depict them. She took photographs and use it as a source in constructing oil paintings. In 2016, she began looking in London streets for anonymous subjects in natural settings.[6][7][8]

Walker captures intimate moments of women's lives. She is known for realistic paintings of women at work. She highlights overlooked jobs — such as in nail bars, salons, hotels, the household etc. — which are performed by women. There is a variety of socio-economic status among her subjects.[1][3][6][8][7]

Walker's works make the viewers feel like voyeurs, as her subjects are seen from a vantage point through windows, bannisters or from a certain height. Her works are often large, making it easy for the viewer to imagine stepping into the scene.[6][9]

Walker's art is often painterly. Colour is an important element for her so as to evoke a painting's aura or ambience.[6][10][5]

Walker's work is held in collections such as the Pérez Art Museum Miami, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, both in Florida.[11] She was elected to the Royal Scottish Academy in 2024.[12]

From 22 November 2025 – 26 April 2026, Walker's work was shown in the exhibition Caroline Walker: Mothering at the Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, United Kingdom.[13]

Selected works

  • Pool Party (2013)[9]
  • Pampered Pedis (2016)[6]
  • Training (2017)
  • Apparition (2017)[14]
  • Not Going Out (2017)[15]
  • Three Maids (2018)
  • Abi (2018)[16]
  • Making Fishcakes (2019)[17]
  • Bathroom Sink Cleaning (2019)
  • Planting Decisions (2019)[18]
  • Sewing (2019)
  • Drafting (2019)[19]

References

  1. ^ a b Millington, Ruth (10 March 2020). "6 Contemporary Feminist Artists Active Today by Ruth Millington". Rise Art. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  2. ^ Scantlebury, Abigail (26 October 2019). "The 'invisible' female workers of London – in pictures". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b Mansfield, Susan. "Art reviews: Caroline Walker at Ingleby | John Byrne at Glasgow Print Studio". www.scotsman.com. JPIMedia Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Caroline Walker". ARTUNER | Curated Contemporary Art. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  5. ^ a b Boddington, Ruby. "Caroline Walker paints the unseen women of London's service industries". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e Spicer, Emily. "Caroline Walker: 'Who we perceive to be the maker of an image affects how we consume it'". studio international. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Caroline Walker - 41 Artworks, Bio & Shows on Artsy". Artsy. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Caroline Walker | Artist Profile, Exhibitions & Artworks". ocula.com. Ocula Ltd. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  9. ^ a b Newman, Martin (31 July 2013). "Bad Intent: Caroline Walker's Paintings Give an Uneasy Edge to the Lifestyles of the rich and fabulous". HuffPost UK. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  10. ^ Black, Holly (28 October 2018). "Caroline Walker's Paintings of Women Reclaim the Gaze". ELEPHANT. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  11. ^ "Dusting Ornaments Late Morning March". Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  12. ^ "The RSA welcomes four new Members". Royal Scottish Academy. 12 December 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  13. ^ "Caroline Walker: Mothering". Pallant House Gallery. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  14. ^ Society, Contemporary Art (28 March 2018). "Suite of works by Caroline Walker acquired for Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate". Contemporary Art Society. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  15. ^ "Caroline Walker | Not Going Out (2017) | Artsy". www.artsy.net. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  16. ^ "Caroline Walker on Transience and Domestic Spaces". ELEPHANT. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  17. ^ "How artists are coping with quarantine". Apollo Magazine. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  18. ^ "Striking paintings by Caroline Walker of her mother cooking, cleaning and tidying at home". Creative Boom. 16 March 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  19. ^ "Caroline Walker, Drafting, 2019". GRIMM. Retrieved 17 February 2021.