Barbara Walker, Burden of Proof, 2022. Sharjah Biennial 15, Old Diwan Al Amiri, 2023. Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation with the support of the Whitworth, The University of Manchester. Photo: Danko Stjepanovic.

As Education Partner for the Turner Prize 2023, the world’s leading prize for contemporary art, we will be taking a deep dive into the artist shortlist announced in April of this year. We invite you to join us over the following weeks and meet each of the artists.

Did you know, two University of Sussex alumni have previously won the Turner Prize. Mixed-media artist Helen Cammock, a Sussex sociology graduate, was one of the co-winners of the 2019 prize. And conceptual artist, Jeremy Deller, who holds a British Art History and Critical Theory MA from Sussex, won the Turner Prize in 2004.

The shortlisted artists for this year’s Turner Prize 2023 are; Jesse Darling, Ghislaine Leung, Rory Pilgrim and Barbara Walker. This week we are shining a spotlight on Barbara Walker.

Meet Barbara Walker

Barbara Walker was born in Birmingham, England in 1964. Walker works in a range of media and formats, from embossed works on paper to paintings on canvas and large scale charcoal wall drawings. Growing up in Birmingham to Jamaican parents, Walker’s experiences have shaped a practice concerned with issues of class and power, gender, race, representation and belonging.

Walker was nominated for her presentation entitled Burden of Proof at Sharjah Biennial 15. In this body of work, Walker brings careful attention and visibility to the individuals and families affected by the Windrush Scandal. Burden of Proof featured large scale charcoal portraits drawn directly onto the gallery wall and eight framed works on paper. Monochromatic portraits of people impacted by the scandal are layered over hand drawn reproductions of identity papers – documentary evidence of their right to remain in the UK. Walker invites the viewer to consider the true consequences of political decision making, the complexities of diasporic identity and the struggle for legitimacy.

Be part of this year’s Turner Prize

Visit the exhibition featuring the shortlisted artists at the gallery, Towner Eastbourne, just a short trip along the coast - opening 28 September 2023. The winner will be announced on December 5 2023 at an award ceremony in Eastbourne’s Winter Gardens.

Teams from across the university have also been collaborating with Towner Eastbourne on an inspiring arts education programme, including events on campus at the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA).

More information is coming soon – we will be keeping updated information and news on the Turner Prize at Towner page on the Student Hub.