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Kara Walker: A Black Hole Is Everything a Star Longs to Be
A beautifully designed panorama of Kara Walker’s works on paper―all reproduced for the first time
This gorgeous 600-page volume, with a printed cloth-over-paper binding, provides an exciting opportunity to delve into the creative process of Kara Walker, one of the most celebrated artists working in the United States today. Primarily recognized for her monumental installations, Walker also works with ink, graphite and collage to create pieces that demonstrate her continued engagement with her own identity as an artist, an African American, a woman and a mother.
More than 700 works on paper created between 1992 and 2020―which are reproduced in print for the first time from the artist’s own strictly guarded private archive―are collected in this volume, thus capturing Walker’s career with an unprecedented level of intimacy. Since the early 1990s, the foundation of her artistic production has been drawing and working on paper in various ways.
Walker’s completed large-format pieces are presented among typewritten notes on index cards and dream journal entries; sketches and studies for pieces appear alongside collages. The result is a volume that allows readers to become eyewitnesses to the genesis of Walker’s art and the transformative power of the figures and narratives she has created over the course of her career.
Now based in New York, Kara Walker was born in Stockton, California, in 1969. She received her Master of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1994; soon afterwards, Walker rose to prominence for her large, provocative silhouettes installed directly onto the walls of exhibition spaces. Walker’s work confronts history, race relations and sexuality in a decidedly non-conciliatory manner, urging the public to reconsider established narratives surrounding the experiences of African Americans in particular.
This gorgeous 600-page volume, with a printed cloth-over-paper binding, provides an exciting opportunity to delve into the creative process of Kara Walker, one of the most celebrated artists working in the United States today. Primarily recognized for her monumental installations, Walker also works with ink, graphite and collage to create pieces that demonstrate her continued engagement with her own identity as an artist, an African American, a woman and a mother.
More than 700 works on paper created between 1992 and 2020―which are reproduced in print for the first time from the artist’s own strictly guarded private archive―are collected in this volume, thus capturing Walker’s career with an unprecedented level of intimacy. Since the early 1990s, the foundation of her artistic production has been drawing and working on paper in various ways.
Walker’s completed large-format pieces are presented among typewritten notes on index cards and dream journal entries; sketches and studies for pieces appear alongside collages. The result is a volume that allows readers to become eyewitnesses to the genesis of Walker’s art and the transformative power of the figures and narratives she has created over the course of her career.
Now based in New York, Kara Walker was born in Stockton, California, in 1969. She received her Master of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1994; soon afterwards, Walker rose to prominence for her large, provocative silhouettes installed directly onto the walls of exhibition spaces. Walker’s work confronts history, race relations and sexuality in a decidedly non-conciliatory manner, urging the public to reconsider established narratives surrounding the experiences of African Americans in particular.
- GenresArtCoffee Table Books
598 pages, Paperback
Published March 30, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 18, 2022
Phenomenal book. The images are very earthy and rich with a sensational use of color action. I felt like I was looking through portals in the artists mind and sketchbooks. This book is packed full of striking imagery and text. A Black Hole Is Everything... is a sneak peek into the process and thinking of Kara Walker, American anthropologist and contemporary icon. An excelling tool for opening the creators mind to the magic possibility of drawing.
June 29, 2025
I have been following Kara Walker’s art for years. Admittedly, it initially took some effort to digest her approach of the images and scenes around race relations - she gut punches, in vivid details, the violence of derogatory racism and hyper sexualization of young black girls that are subjugated by racism.
This particular book, I purchased back in 2021 (but just now getting around to review here on GR), chronicles her work from the early 90’s to up until around 2020. The cover of the book is artistic itself - has a textured linen cover. The title lets you know that included Kara Walker confronts history and race relations that stops you in your tracks, demanding attention. This book is now out of print (due to a limited printing) and resells astronomically. I’m happy to have this book which allows for a continued engagement of her art and the very important voice of social issues.
Currently, SFMOMA has a fantastic Kara Walker exhibition, which is free, on until spring 2026. And as a Bay Area native, like Kara Walker, I try to stop and see it every time I find myself in the area.
This particular book, I purchased back in 2021 (but just now getting around to review here on GR), chronicles her work from the early 90’s to up until around 2020. The cover of the book is artistic itself - has a textured linen cover. The title lets you know that included Kara Walker confronts history and race relations that stops you in your tracks, demanding attention. This book is now out of print (due to a limited printing) and resells astronomically. I’m happy to have this book which allows for a continued engagement of her art and the very important voice of social issues.
Currently, SFMOMA has a fantastic Kara Walker exhibition, which is free, on until spring 2026. And as a Bay Area native, like Kara Walker, I try to stop and see it every time I find myself in the area.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews