David Walker, We The Fever (acrylic and spray paint on canvas)
When: 17th November – 9th December 2017
Where: Lawrence Alkin Gallery, 42 New Compton Street, London WC2H 8DA
£: Free admission
What is it?
This month, Berlin-based street artist David Walker, will unveil a brand new body of work at London’s Lawrence Alkin Gallery. Featuring several ‘firsts’ for the artist, predominately known for his large-scale female portraits, Half A World Passed Me By includes works of both female and male sitters.
The show sees the introduction of brushes, acrylics and new techniques for Walker, whose previous works were made exclusively freehand with spray paint. The exhibition also includes figurative works, studies and sketches, and Walker will introduce a series of text-based paintings featuring his own writing.
Collaborating with Berlin based multidisciplinary artist Yuli Gates on a number of pieces within the show, Walker has also used Gates as a model for some of the paintings. Together Walker and Gates have created works that juxtapose form and flora, fusing painting with hand embroidery techniques.
David Walker, The Sun Stares Back (acrylic and spray paint on canvas)
There will also be separate collaborations with German graffiti artists turned contemporary painters, Base 23 and Mina.
Half A World Passed Me By is made up of around 25 works, featuring male and female portraits, figurate paintings, form and flora, and poetic texts; created using a mix of spray paint, acrylic, ink and embroidery.
The show is split over two levels at Lawrence Alkin Gallery, the top floor focusing on portrait and figurative work and the downstairs showcasing new text-based work, portrait studies and collaborations.
Walker’s last London show was in November 2014 at the Hoxton Arches in conjunction with Lawrence Alkin Gallery, and was a sell-out show. Since then, Walker has been busy painting large-scale murals on streets in France, Denmark, Belgium and New York. He also recently created pieces for the Street Art Museum in Amsterdam and the just-opened Urban Nation Museum for urban contemporary art in Berlin.
Born in London, Walker is now based in Berlin and has a studio in a former primary school in Kreuzberg, one of the few buildings in the area to survive the war.
More info: www.lawrencealkingallery.com and www.artofdavidwalker.com