October 22nd - November 27th, 2022

Opening Reception, Saturday October 22nd, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Artist's Talk, Friday October 21st, 2:30 p.m.

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Walker Antonio has been steeped in the visual realm from an early age.

His father, Mike Antonio, was a studio art major at Mary Washington College

and currently has his own graphic design company. Walker became seriously

interested in studio art at Woodberry Forest School under the tutelage and

guidance of the department chair, Kelly Lonergan. Rather than an emphasis

on technique, his training there stressed the visual expression of emotions

using vivid color, bold lines, and dense textures. In the continuation of his

studies in art at Wofford College, Walker has focused on honing basic skills,

refining his process, and exploring more deeply issues of subject matter and

style. Over the last two years, he has produced an extensive body of work.

He has created a range of pieces in the fields of sculpture and printmaking, but his primary interest is painting, preferably working on a large scale.  

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"I am still trying to find my voice in art, but in my paintings of the last two years, I have been motivated by an interest in the mental health of the young men of my generation and the anxiety that comes with the age of social media. Finding inspiration in outsider art and art brut, I try to express states of mind and emotional responses through the distortion and caricature of the human figure. I use extensive patterning to create an ambiguous sense of space and explore compositions that push the boundaries between figuration and abstraction. The pieces chosen for this show will encompass a motif of 'masks,' referring to the different sides of the self that we present in different social situations. I am very interested in how people act, how they put on a mask, to confront the varied challenges of human experience, and the mental toll that this can take, especially in the pressurized social world of today's young people."