Question 1

True or false: Her signature medium is large-scale cut-paper silhouettes, a technique she invented entirely on her own.

Accepted Answer

False. Silhouette art existed long before Walker, but she revived and subverted it to critique antebellum stereotypes. Not her invention.

Question 2

True or false: Walker once created a life-size sugar sculpture of a Black woman sphinx for the Domino Sugar Factory.

Accepted Answer

True. Her 2014 installation 'A Subtlety' featured a 35-foot-tall sugar sphinx, blending historical plantation imagery with industrial labor.

Question 3

True or false: Kara Walker won a MacArthur Genius Grant at age 27, making her one of the youngest recipients ever.

Accepted Answer

True. She received the MacArthur Fellowship in 1997 at age 27, recognized for her provocative silhouettes exploring race and gender.

Question 4

True or false: She created a series of watercolors based on the 1915 film 'The Birth of a Nation' to critique its racist imagery.

Accepted Answer

True. Her 2005 series 'The End of Uncle Tom' and related works directly respond to D.W. Griffith's film, reimagining its racist tropes.

Question 5

True or false: Walker has publicly stated that she refuses to use digital tools in her art, preferring only handmade techniques.

Accepted Answer

False. While known for hand-cut silhouettes, she has used digital projections and video in works like 'Fall Frum Grace, Miss Pipi's Blue Tale' (2011).

Question 6

True or false: Kara Walker’s first major museum exhibition was at the Whitney Museum of American Art when she was 23.

Accepted Answer

False. Her first major museum show was at the Renaissance Society in 1997; the Whitney exhibition came later, in 2007.

Question 7

True or false: Walker's work has never been shown outside the United States due to its controversial themes.

Accepted Answer

False. Her art has been exhibited internationally, including at the Tate Modern in London and the Venice Biennale.

Question 8

True or false: Walker was once sued by a descendant of a slave owner depicted in one of her silhouettes.

Accepted Answer

False. No such lawsuit exists. While her work has sparked debates, there is no record of a descendant suing her.

Kara Walker Trivia Questions