Barbara Walker MBE, who’s been described as one of the most important artists working in Britain today, brings her hugely successful exhibition Being Here to Arnolfini this month for its spring season.
Barbara Walker’s Being Here is arriving at Arnolfini on 8 March – the perfect way to celebrate International Women’s Day. After wowing audiences at its inaugural run at the Whitworth in Manchester, this exhibition is travelling to Bristol, just in time for a worldwide celebration of women.
This show is a thoughtful dive into Walker’s vivid and powerful figurative work, featuring pieces created across four decades, from the ‘90s to today.
It brings together all her major series, starting with the bold, colourful paintings from Private Face (1998-2002), which capture intimate moments of her family and the Birmingham community. Then, there’s Louder than Words (2006-2009), a touching series of mixed media drawings on police dockets and newspaper articles, created in response to her son being repeatedly stopped and search by the police.
Born in Birmingham in the ‘60s, Walker is known for her deeply moving, research-based drawings and her adventurous experimentation with all sorts of media – from embossed prints to paint. Whether she’s creating delicate pencil sketches on archival documents or huge, dramatic charcoal wall pieces, she uses traditional techniques to give a powerful voice to the stories and struggles of our time.
“To be an artist to create in times of adversity, is, I believe to be optimistic,” Walker says. “In my work as an artist, I have sought to make ‘positive images’, or perhaps images that will have a positive impact. I love working with people who are not used to having their voices heard. People who are often made visible in only the worst ways. I want to help make people visible in the best ways possible, by creating affirming images that speak of and to humanity.”
With her unique approach to visibility and erasure – using techniques like enlarging, cutting, obscuring and blanking out – Walker pushes us to rethink what it means to be seen and remembered. Her art is rich with empathy, exploring themes of body politics, power and belonging while tackling social injustices and transforming the Black experience, both today and throughout history.
Must-see pieces
Being Here features plenty of absolutely unmissable pieces. There’s the Turner Prize-nominated series Burden of Proof (2022-2023), commissioned by the Sharjah Art Foundation with support from the Whitworth. This series honours Caribbean-born individuals impacted by the Windrush scandal, giving them the respect and humanity they deserve. Then, there’s Soft Power (2024), a major immersive installation that envelopes you in a beautifully patterned wallpaper environment, celebrating Windrush communities in Manchester.
Other highlights include Shock and Awe (2015-2020), which shines a light on the often-overlooked contributions of Black servicemen and women throughout history, using techniques like blind embossing to disrupt traditional narratives. Plus, Vanishing Point (2018-present) and Marking the Moment (2021-present) take classic European Old Master paintings and transform them by putting the once-marginalised Black figure front and centre, creating new ways for us to look at the past.
This vibrant exhibition is supported by the Whitworth Art Gallery and the University of Manchester, and comes with an illustrated catalogue that brings fresh insight into Walker’s incredible work.
Barbara Walker: Being Here is accompanied by a programme of workshops, community and live events at Arnolfini. The exhibition runs from 8 March until 25 May. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 6pm. Entry is free, with a suggested donation of £5 welcomed. 16 Narrow Quay, BS1 4QA; arnolfini.org.uk
