Featured Artist Sharon “Shay” Walker

Artist Sharon “Shay” Walker shares a collection of delightfully whimsical and textural paintings designed to evoke joy. View more by visiting her website.

 

 

My work is an exploration of layers, both physical and metaphorical. I create abstract mixed-media pieces featuring textured surfaces, layered with paint and reclaimed paper. My process is one of layering, concealing, and tearing away to reveal portions of the layers beneath.

 

 

This is an intuitive process and creates an interplay between what is seen and what lies hidden beneath. Just as an individual or society reveals only fragments of itself on the surface, the unseen layers—memory, experience, relationship —shape the whole. Each torn edge and rebuilt surface carries fragments of stories, moments, and energies that mirror the layered nature of human experience.

 

 

The discovery of what is hidden has always fascinated me. By the age of seven, I had already lived in three countries across two continents. As an adult, I migrated to a fourth country. The differences in culture and the nuances of language both confused me as a child and intrigued me as I grew older.

 

 

This experience has made me a keen observer of what is visible on the surface, as well as the underlying, unspoken aspects of individuals and communities. This perspective is the driving force behind how I view the world and how I create my art.

 

 

Nature plays a significant role in this exploration. Paper, a product derived from trees—the lungs of our planet—serves as both a symbol and a material in my practice. By reclaiming what was once discarded, I emphasize the importance of using what is (who we are) to create the new (who we are becoming). This act of repurposing symbolizes renewal and transformation, both internally and externally.

 

 

In this process, I explore themes of identity, resilience, and transformation. The textures and layers encourage viewers to reflect on their own complexities and the connections we share as a collective.

 

 

By intuitively combining paper and layers of paint, my work highlights the layers that define us—both as individuals and as a society—and emphasizes the similarities we all share.

 

Shay Walker invites you to follow on Instagram. 

 

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