Delving into the archives for this Friday’s post has led us to artist Patrick Walker: talented self-taught artist and philanthropist. This Winnipeg artist used his finely crafted art as a way to deal with the immense physical challenges he faced in his day to day life and as well as to bring beauty into the lives of others. Although his health made working incredibly difficult, Walker still created hundreds of his intricate, handmade pieces which he then simply gave away to numerous charities and community groups.
The focus of his practice is intarsia an ancient process that he describes on his website as “the making of decorative and pictorial mosaics by laying precious and exotic wood into or onto groundwork of solid wood”. Walker is mostly known for his production of his Celtic crosses and knot work which are inspired by his research into the complex traditions of Celtic myths and legends. Although he does gift a majority of his artworks, he has also created large gallery pieces that are now in collections around the world.
Patrick Walker’s dedication to his craft has led him to be collected around the world. He took the never ending pain of his physical reality and morphed it into a legacy of meticulously complex works of art that touched the lives of those around him.
Find Patrick online here.
