Adrian O. Walker, is a mixed media artist based in Chicago, IL by way of St. Louis Missouri. His work is inspired by the black body, dynamics of the black family, and archival work related to the African American experience and the untold stories that they share.

We reached out to Adrian to discuss the series ‘We Matter’ and its relation to current events as well as touch on one of his biggest accomplishments and life during a pandemic. Adrian will show with The Gallery, alongside NY based artist Anthony Akinbola, later this year (2020).

GALLERY: What was your experience like growing up in St. Louis? How did that shape your art career, if at all?
ADRIAN: St. Louis was the number one reason I chose to get into art. Growing up in North City, STL put me in the position where I was always curious about my surroundings, and that’s when I discovered wanting to document what was surrounding me. 

GALLERY: How does ‘We Matter’ reflect some of the current events happening in the world? What is the significance of the durag?
ADRIAN: Seeing that we are still living in a world where we don’t matter with the most recent news of  Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. The work pretty much speaks for itself, how we are viewed as threats, and at this point, it doesn’t matter what we are wearing, living, doing, etc. 

The significance of the durag is a nuance of us (black people) just being ourselves in the existence of others who don’t see us worth existing.

GALLERY: What does this series (‘We Matter’) mean for black men in particular?
ADRIAN: We Matter explores Black American beauty traditions among Black men. The intimacy depicted in each photograph erases the possibility of threat often assigned to black men. Instead, it pushes the viewer to see the power of kinship within the Black community.

GALLERY: Can you talk about your experience in Ferguson? Do you feel like we are making strides in the right direction as a society since then?
ADRIAN: My experiences in Ferguson were magical (pre-Mike Brown) My college was in the Ferguson community, close friends, barbershop at the time, and some of my favorite restaurants. That is how I remember Ferguson. During my time on the front lines, documenting the experiences of everything going on with the Ferguson Police Dept, everything was upside down. Ferguson has changed forever, and as much as I want to remember the good times, they are blurred from all the rage that went on six years ago. 

GALLERY: You are one of The Outwin Boochever Portrait Competitions winners and have a photograph on display at The National Portrait Gallery Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. What was that experience like?
ADRIAN: A high I have yet to come down from. I don’t feel like “I have made it” But I damn sure am horned to be amongst a great group of artist with work hanging in one of the most prestigious museums on Earth. 

GALLERY: How have things changed for you in light of COVID-19?
ADRIAN: Drastically, I lost my job (9-5), so adjusting to life without a steady income. Managing time and space with my daughter and Wife, maintaining a healthy life/mind balance, and just getting into the swing of the “New Normal.” 

GALLERY: Do you feel inspired to create, or are you taking this time to reflect?
ADRIAN: As much as I feel inspired, it’s always tricky for me to figure out where to begin. So a lot of reflecting has been going on in the midst of slowly creating with myself and others. 

GALLERY: What are you looking forward to most when we can resume “normal life”?
ADRIAN: Hugging the homies, traveling, and visiting family. 

GALLERY: Who/what are some of your biggest influences?
ADRIAN: Emory Onyx Walker (daughter) Morgan Hickman Walker (wife), close friends, and fam. These are who I do everything for, which makes them most influential to me.