Jake Walker inverts cultural expectations and artistic conventions in his multi-dimensional paintings. Artistic genres and traditional symbols are reshaped, hybridised and reimagined to suit Walker’s own conceptual designs. His visual universe is highly nuanced, drawn into existence through a continued exploration of generative source material: both cultural and familial. Part of this exploration is a fascination with found paintings, where he reworks canvases purchased from op shops and eBay, or collected from hard rubbish, to form a battle between forms until eventually his own iconography takes shape.
Walker was born in Wellington, New Zealand, and currently lives and works in Melbourne. He completed studies at the Whitirea Art School, Wellington in 1989 and Otago School of Fine Art, Dunedin in 1991. He lived and worked in the UK, USA and Germany from 1996 to 2000. Solo exhibitions include Art Basel Hong Kong, presented by Utopian Slumps, Hong Kong, 2014; The Town Belt, City Gallery, Wellington, 2014; Paintings and Relief, Utopian Slumps, Melbourne, 2012; Painting and Relief, Studio 12, Gertrude Contemporary, 2012; Jake Walker and Mark Rodda (with Mark Rodda), Utopian Slumps at Auckland Art Fair, 2011; Paintings, Gallery 9, Sydney, 2011; Auckland Art Fair, with Mark Rodda, Utopian Slumps, 2011; Owner Builder, Utopian Slumps, Melbourne, 2011; Have a Go, Gallery 9, Sydney, 2009;New Past Painting Group, James Dorahy Project Space, Sydney, 2007; The Inland Sea (with Mark Rodda), Utopian Slumps, Melbourne, 2007; and Jake Walker, Neut Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand, 2003. Selected group exhibitions include Assembly, Margaret Lawrence Gallery, Melbourne, 2014; Never-Never Land, Roslyn Oxley 9 in collaboration with Utopian Slumps, Sydney, 2014; Melbourne Now, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 2013; Gertrude Studios 2011 Exhibition, Gertrude Contemporary, 2011; Reason and Rhyme, curated by Emily Cormack, Charlotte Huddleston and Amita Kirplani, Gertrude Contemporary, Melbourne and St Paul St Gallery, Auckland, 2011; The Painting Group, Utopian Slumps, Melbourne, 2010; Points of View, curated by Olivia Radonich, Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne, 2010;Territorial Pissings, Utopian Slumps, Melbourne, 2010; I’m worse at what I do best, curated by Tom Polo, Parramatta Artist Studios, New South Wales, 2009; Visage, Firstdraft, Sydney, 2009; Texticles, curated by Rob McHaffie, TCB art inc., Melbourne, 2009; and SafARI, Sydney, 2006. Walker was the winner of the inaugural Arkley Award in 2010 and finalist in the Blake Prize in 2009, the Fishers Ghost Art Prize in 2006 and Mosman Art Prize in 2006. His work is held in the Chartwell and Joyce Nissan Collections, as well as various private collections in Australia and overseas. Walker was a Gertrude Contemporary resident studio artist from 2011 to 2012. Utopian Slumps will present Walker’s next solo exhibition at Art Basel Hong Kong 2014.
