Jake Walker

Jake Walker's practice is defined by a relentless commitment to the handmade. He crafts intimately scaled abstract paintings that exude personality, self-sufficiency, and autonomy. His work embraces the tactile and resourceful nature of creation, standing in deliberate opposition to the uniformity of mass-production. Drawing on the legacy of post-war readymades, monochromes, and assemblages, Walker often paints on found canvases and salvaged boards, layering his marks to reflect the messiness and vitality of life.

A distinctive feature of Walker’s work is his use of handmade ceramic frames, which are rugged, organic forms that celebrate raw materials. His paintings bear inscriptions of dates and initials etched into the paint, serving as both a testament to their handmade origins and a record of the time and labor invested in their creation.

Since 2009, Walker has exhibited widely across Australia and New Zealand. In 2010, he was highly commended in the RBS Emerging Artist Award and won the inaugural Arkley Award at NOTFAIR, Melbourne. His work is represented in collections, including Artbank Australia, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the Chartwell Collection (Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki), the Arts House Trust, the Bowman Collection, the Joyce Nissan Collection, and numerous private collections in Australia, New Zealand, and beyond.

Jake will have his first solo exhibition at {Suite} in late October this year.