Born in Stockton, California, and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Kara Walker studied at the Atlanta College of Art and the Rhode Island School of Design. She gained widespread recognition in the mid-1990s for her large-scale silhouette installations, which challenged traditional depictions of the antebellum South.

Walker works across a variety of media, including painting, printmaking, sculpture, and film. Her signature cut-paper silhouettes are characterized by their sharp, graphic quality and their ability to confront complex, often uncomfortable, historical and social realities.

She has held numerous academic positions and continues to be a significant figure in contemporary art, with her work held in the collections of major institutions worldwide. Her practice remains focused on the intersection of personal identity and collective historical memory.