Lyndal Walker's solo practice has been concerned with themes of gender, identity, time and fashion. The nature of images and the process of looking are core conceptual concerns that pervade her photographs and installations. Challenging gender stereotypes and exploring fluidity have been an aspect of her practice for many years and she has done this through forms that challenge convention and fine art traditions. She is concerned with the role of photographs in our lives and her works have often confused the nature of objects and images She has used fashion accessories to interrogate personal identity and retail interior design tropes such as changing rooms and mirrors, to consider personal and collective transformation.
Time has been a major theme in both her visual art and writing practices. She has explored the theme through creating documents, investigating its symbolism and ruminating on its nature as moment, duration and in history. The theme has motivated her to create rituals and study astrology. Cosmic Children, completed in 2022, is a series of collages reimagining the astrological signs with a diverse non-binary cast.
Since 2018 she has been investigating non-western knowledge systems including shamanism, animism and ancestral connection. She believe that this knowledge which is central to indigenous experience and wisdom, offers us solutions to the urgent environmental and social situation we find ourselves in. As such she is integrating this knowledge with her practice
Lyndal Walker has been exhibiting since 1994 in galleries including The Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, Modern Culture, New York, The Museum of Australian Photography, Melbourne and In recent years she has had solo exhibitions at Hangmen Projects, Stockholm, Weserhalle, Berlin and the Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, where she had a one year residency. Since 2018, she featured in group exhibitions at Hosek Contemporary, Berlin, The National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne and The Gallery of NSW, Sydney. Her work has been published and written about in publications including Frieze, Art & Text and Artforum as well as numerous Australian newspapers and magazines.
Collaboration has been an important aspect of her practise. Between 2004 and 2017, Walker was a member of ‘The Hotham Street Ladies’ who do food inspired projects ranging from recipe books and cake decoration to installations and street art. In 1994 Walker was one of a group who began ‘1st Floor Artists And Writers Space’ which ran until 2003 and was an important part of the gallery scene at the time. Artists including Kate Beynon, Ricky Swallow, Nat and Ali and David Noonan exhibited at 1st Floor. Walker was also one of the founding members of ‘Citylights’ a 24-hour public gallery in light boxes. She was a member of the board and programming committees of West Space, Melbourne from 2011 to 2015.
Lyndal walker lives in Berlin and Melbourne.