Jake Walker’s artistic practice is characterised by sustained experimentation and a dynamic creative impetus that informs the development of each work. His signature ceramic frames, playful, tactile, and irregular in form, provide a deliberate counterpoint to the smooth, often abstract canvases they surround. This juxtaposition serves to foreground the expressive and material possibilities of clay, positioning it simultaneously as both medium and structural support.
Architectural references are integral to Walker’s oeuvre. Many of his ceramic constructions incorporate elements such as lateral piping, diminutive steeples, and sculptural forms that recall aspects of the built environment. These works frequently retain visible traces of their making; surface textures and structural idiosyncrasies reflect the artist’s manual processes and underscore the handcrafted nature of the practice. Mark-making is also central to Walker’s visual lexicon, with inscriptions appearing along frame edges and across painted surfaces. His works are commonly inscribed with initials and completion dates, subtle acknowledgements of temporal and labour-intensive processes.
Since 2009, Walker has exhibited extensively throughout Australia and New Zealand. He received a High Commendation in the RBS Emerging Artist Award in 2010 and was the inaugural recipient of the Arkley Award at NOTFAIR, Melbourne. In 2012, he undertook a studio residency at Gertrude Contemporary. His work is represented in major public and private collections, including Artbank, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the Chartwell Collection (Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki), the Wallace Arts Trust, the Bowman Collection, and the Joyce Nissan Collection, as well as in numerous private collections across Australasia and internationally.