About the Artist
I am Adelaide Walker, an Austin-based artist focusing on blending all mediums of work. Currently attending UT Austin in pursuit of a BFA, I seek to bring light to social inequalities and moral dilemmas through my process.
My work has often revolved around objectification—both of myself and the animals I resonate with. My process blends lithography and sculptural sewing to transform these fabrics into assemblages that subvert archaic ideals of beauty, revealing fragility and the enduring strength within what is often overlooked. I find resonance in the intersection of self-portraiture and animal symbolism, seeking subjects that speak to my own experiences. I render these images onto found fabrics, transforming the soft surface with my linework. I learned to mend from my mother and grandmother, and it has become a meditation for me. In these meditations, I lovingly hand stitch the pieces together and let the fabric guide me as I weave together my psychological landscape. When choosing fabric, I see myself as a paleontologist sifting through remnants of the past—wedding dresses left to yellow in thrift stores, delicate lace once cherished, pillowcases with initials hand-stitched by women I will never know. There is comfort in honoring these intimate textiles by reimagining them with exposed stitches and staining them with raw imagery. I depict animals and feminine qualities as symbols of strength and dignity, and ultimately a love letter to the female experience. Influenced by Kiki Smith's process-based approach, I let the materials guide me. My work aims to challenge outdated symbols of power and reshape them into expressions of strength, resilience, and liberation.